The Sodebo team, skippered by Thomas Coville, crossed the virtual finish line between Ushant and the Lizard at 07:46 this morning (French time). After 40 days, 10 hours, and 45 minutes at sea, they have set a new record for the fastest non-stop circumnavigation by sail and successfully claimed the Jules Verne Trophy. Led by Thomas Coville, with crew members Benjamin Schwartz, Frédéric Denis, Pierre Leboucher, Léonard Legrand, and Guillaume Pirouelle, the team aboard Sodebo Ultim 3 completed their round-the-world voyage 12 hours and 44 minutes faster than the long-standing record held by Francis Joyon. The previous record had been held by IDEC Sport since 2017.

Sodebo's Record Pace

The team maintained a jaw-dropping average speed of 27.17 knots (50.32 km/h) over an uninterrupted course of 28,315 nautical miles (45,568 km).

After setting off from Ushant, they reached the Equator in just 4 days and 4 hours, and the Cape of Good Hope in under 11 days. After sailing half the globe, Sodebo rounded Cape Leeuwin in 17 days and 1 hour – by which point their average speed since the start was 32.1 knots. They crossed the Pacific Ocean in just 7 days, 12 hours, and 12 minutes – three hours faster than the previous fastest time set by François Gabart (subject to verification by the World Sailing Speed Record Council, WSSRC). On the return leg, they passed the Equator with a lead of 20 hours and 49 minutes over IDEC Sport's pace.

By that stage, they had covered nearly 2,000 more miles than IDEC Sport and maintained a staggering average speed of 29.9 knots since the start. The team was on track to break the symbolic 40-day barrier until the final miles, when Storm Ingrid forced them onto a more westerly route and slowed the trimaran in conditions that risked structural damage. Apart from losing one rudder casing, they emerged relatively unscathed from Storm Ingrid, regained speeds of 30 knots on the final approach to Ushant, and crossed the finish line at 07:46 this morning.

Record-Breaker Thomas Coville

Thomas Coville has dedicated his life to the pursuit of astonishing round-the-world records. Coville is a truly extraordinary individual, possessing not only exceptional skill, courage, and resilience but also the mind of a learned philosopher, bringing incredible energy and curiosity to everything he does. He twice set Jules Verne Trophy records as crew – first in 1997 aboard Sport Elec with Olivier de Kersauson (71 days), and again in 2010 aboard Groupama 3 with Franck Cammas (48 days).

In 2016, after a decade of attempts, he set the solo non-stop round-the-world record. In 2019, he launched the new Sodebo Ultim 3 with the goal of creating the fastest race boat in history for a circumnavigation. Over the past six years, the Sodebo team has made three attempts on the Jules Verne Trophy, sometimes"racing" alongside other Ultims, sometimes going it alone. As Ultims represent the cutting edge of offshore sailing technology with full foiling capability, each attempt was hampered by breakdowns and damage. This is the first time an Ultim has completed a non-stop circumnavigation. Following IDEC Sport's astonishing time, there have been 13 subsequent attempts to break the record, all unsuccessful until now.

Although they started in an optimal weather window, Sodebo's crew did not have a straightforward voyage: the position of the St. Helena High meant they had to add precious extra miles to their route in the South Atlantic, navigate around ice in the Southern Ocean, and battle winds of 40-50 knots as a large Atlantic low named Storm Ingrid blocked their path to the finish line. Yet, Sodebo's phenomenal speed also allowed the crew to set two new leg records (Ushant to the Equator and the Pacific crossing) and reset the benchmark times at every major cape (Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin, and Cape Horn). Yesterday, as Sodebo charged through the remnants of Storm Ingrid – with the record still not guaranteed – Coville sent a final update from on board, writing:"Remember, on the other side of the Bay of Biscay, there are seven guys having a blast, dreaming of sharing all this with you!"