The achievements of Thomas Coville and his crew, who broke the previous record for the Jules Verne Trophy with a time of just over 40 days, are being celebrated around the world. The exploit of Alexia Barrier and her all-female crew on the same route also caused a sensation. But there is one sailor who is taking on a completely different challenge on this very route: On board his mighty trimaran Ultim MACSF, Guirec Soudée is undertaking the ultimate test, the most difficult sailing mission of all – circumnavigating the globe “in reverse”. While the classic route of the Jules Verne Trophy or the Vendée Globe leads from west to east around the three large capes and follows the prevailing winds, the “reverse” route forces the sailors to navigate against the wind and current. So every mile becomes a fierce battle.
To date, just five sailors have completed such a single-handed circumnavigation, first rounding Cape Horn, then Cape Leeuwin and finally the Cape of Good Hope before crossing the finish line off Ouessant in Brittany: Chay Blyth in 1971, Mike Golding in 1994, Philippe Monnet in 2000 and finally Jean-Luc Van Den Heede in 2004. With a time of 122 days, he is also the current record holder. By way of comparison, the fastest man in the last Vendée Globe in the classic direction completed the route in 64 days. So far, only two sailors have attempted the race solo in a multihull. The Pole Roman Paszke failed in 2012 and 2013 and Yves Le Blévec capsized off Cape Horn in 2017. Although multihulls are faster, they are hardly forgiving in extreme conditions.
Two out of three done: Soudée sets course for the last big cape
After passing Cape Horn on January 14, Guirec Soudée rounded Cape Leeuwin in southwest Australia on February 18. This second of the three large capes marked the start of a complex tactical phase. In order to protect his 31-metre-long giant and avoid the most extreme low-pressure areas, Soudée chose an unusual route in the Pacific, further north than his predecessors. A well-considered decision to take the pressure off the boat before the Bass Strait and the entrance to the Indian Ocean.
Soudée is now heading for the Cape of Good Hope. With a lead of more than 1000 nautical miles over Van Den Heede, the record seems within reach for Guirec Soudée. However, the dreaded crossing of the Indian Ocean and the long Atlantic section still lie ahead: no easy task for boat and skipper, both of whom have already been put under a lot of strain. Van Den Heed reached Cape Leeuwin after 70 days – Soudée achieved this after just 57 days. Van den Heed then needed 22 days to cross the Indian Ocean against the wind and currents, and a further 30 days to cross the Atlantic to the finish line.
If everything goes well for Guirec Soudée (we’re keeping our fingers crossed!), he could break the 100-day mark – but there is still a very, very long way to go before he reaches the finish line.
Follow the development on www.guirecsoudee.com
