To set first all-female reference time

When Alexia Barrier and seven female crew of The Famous Project CIC began their pursuit of the Jules Verne Trophy on November 29, they hoped to claim the prize for the fastest crewed, non-stop, unassisted circumnavigation of the globe. More so, they wanted to be the first all-woman team to do so.

The challenge is in choosing the right time to start. Weather forecasts tend to extend only to the equator, and if an effort is behind the record pace, they soon quit. It is race against the clock, and nobody sails around the world to not win. Or maybe they do.

The record was set in 2017 by Francis Joyon and his five crew members aboard the same legendary trimaran, the 103-foot IDEC SPORT: 40 days and 23 hours. The Famous Project CIC pace to the equator was about 1000 nm behind Joyon, and it was in the southern oceans where he really excelled.

Barrier’s team is now in the South Atlantic and approaching the eastern tip of Brazil, trailing Joyon’s pace by 1245 nm as of late on December 8. It now appears the goal is to set the first all-female reference time. – Details