Announcement

**Photoboy** · 12-02-2019, 09:43 AM

Spindrift Jules Verne Record Attempt Departure Imminent

JULES VERNE TROPHY: TUESDAY NIGHT DEPARTURE FOR SPINDRIFT 2 //
Spindrift 2 is preparing for a new attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy, the round the world record that starts and finishes in Ushant, leaving the three capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin, Horn) to port. The reference time is the current record set by Francis Joyon and his crew in 2017, of 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds. With their optimised maxi trimaran and a crew of eleven, skipper Yann Guichard is aiming to start this new attempt on the night of Tuesday 3 to Wednesday, 4 December.

Yann Guichard and crew will cross the line during the night of December 4th, in front of the Créac'h lighthouse (Ushant) to begin the 21,600 mile route (following the Great Circle, which is the direct route chosen by the WSSRC, the international organisation that ratifies sailing records), with the aim of beating the record of 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds. Based on its performance on a previous attempt, the black and gold trimaran could have the record on target, especially given recent technical improvements to the trimaran, including setting rudder fins to better sustain the Spindrift 2 at high speed.

all images © Chris Schmid/Spindrift racing

A third attempt
Yann Guichard and his crew have tried to beat the record on two previous occasions: in 2015 (47d 10h 59') with Dona Bertarelli, who became the fastest woman around the world, and in 2018 (where the team was forced to abandon their attempt following rudder failure close to the Kerguelen Islands). However now, once again, the North Atlantic has a favourable weather window that could allow a passage to the equator in about five days.

"We will start from La Trinité on Tuesday morning to cross the starting line of the Jules Verne Trophy at Ushant between 18:00 on Tuesday and 6:00 on Wednesday: once we see how the weather is evolving, we will be able to refine this window. The conditions are quite good, with a time at the equator of around five days. We should be able to leave the eastern sector in the Bay of Biscay with a moderate breeze and then we will benefit from trade winds that ill strengthen to the north of Portugal. We will have make some gybes to get to Madeira before performing our swoop down into the doldrums." Says Yann Guichard.

But if the descent to the Equator looks favourable, the round the world record can still be lost at the Cape of Good Hope. Spindrift 2 already holds the fastest time between Ushant and the Equator made during the second attempt in early 2019 (4d 20h 07 '), but it is the ability to improve the reference time to the Cape of Good Hope and arrive at the Indian Ocean with time in hand that is critical. Francis Joyon had an extremely fast crossing of this second ocean in 2017 (5d 21h 07 '). Spindrift 2 must therefore keep to an average speed of about 23 knots to South Africa, to ensure that there is enough margin on the reference time to start the next section.

North-South sequence
"The doldrums seem more favourable to the East as we have seen during the recent Transat Jacques Vabre and Brest Atlantiques. To get into the Southern Hemisphere in good shape: we hope to pass the Cape of Good Hope in less than thirteen days, which would allow us to be ahead of Francis Joyon’s time. While it is still a bit far out, we can already see that the South Atlantic is not closed and we could hook into a depression off Brazil to arrive on South Africa quite quickly.” Says the skipper of the black and gold trimaran.

Spindrift 2 is ready for this new attempt with a total crew of twelve, including two newcomers: Grégory Gendron and Corentin Horeau., who know the boat well and are already well integrated into the team.

"We will leave with conditions more pleasant than usual, and the day after the start, it will not be as cold ... It is a fairly standard route but we hope it will be rather fast - to the equator at least!" Concludes Yann Guichard.

SPINDRIFT 2 - JULES VERNE TROPHY SQUAD:
Yann Guichard - skipper
Erwan Israël - navigator
Jacques Guichard - watch leader / helm
Jackson Bouttell - helm / bow
Thierry Chabagny - helm
Grégory Gendron - helm
Xavier Revil - watch leader / helm
Corentin Horeau - helm / bow
François Morvan - helm
Duncan Späth - helm
Erwan Le Roux - watch leader / helm
Benjamin Schwartz - helm / bow
---
Jean-Yves Bernot - router

THE JULES VERNE TROPHY:
Start and finish: an imaginary line between Créac’h lighthouse (Isle of Ushant) and Lizard Point (England)
Course: non-stop around-the-world tour travelling without assistance via three capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn)
Minimum distance: 21,600 nautical miles (40,000 kilometres)
Ratification: World Sailing Speed Record Council, www.sailspeedrecords.com
Time to beat: 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds
Average speed: 22,84 knots
Date of current record: January 2017
Holder: IDEC Sport, Francis Joyon and a 5-man crew

CREW SPLIT TIMES REFERENCES:
Ushant-Equator: 4d 20h 07 '(Spindrift 2 in 2019)
Equator-Cape Aiguilles: 6d 08h 55 '(Banque Populaire V in 2012)
Cape Aiguilles -Cape Leeuwin: 4d 09h 32 '(IDEC Sport in 2017)
Cape Leuuwin-Cape Horn: 9d 08h 46 '(IDEC Sport in 2017)
Cape Horn-Equator: 7d 04h 27 '(Banque Populaire V in 2012)
Equator-Ushant: 5d 19h 21 '(IDEC Sport in 2017)

WSSRC CREWED RECORDS:
Crossing the North Atlantic (Ushant-Equator): 4d 20h 07 '(Spindrift 2 in 2019)
Crossing the Indian Ocean (Cape Aiguilles-S Tasmania) : 5d 21h 07’ 45’’ (IDEC Sport in 2017)
Crossing Pacific Ocean (S Tasmania-Cape Horn) : 7d 21h 13’ 31’’ (IDEC Sport in 2017)
Equator-Equator- : 29d 09h 10’ 55’’ (IDEC Sport in 2017)
Around the World (Jules Verne Trophy) : 40d 23h 30’ 30’’ (IDEC Sport in 2017)

**Prince of Whales** · 12-02-2019, 09:51 AM

Go get em Yann!

3rd time is the charm!

**Photoboy** · 12-03-2019, 09:36 AM

Spindrift 2 Begins It's Jules Verne Quest

Aerial image ©Maxime Horlaville / Spindrift Racing

// SPINDRIFT 2 LEAVES LA TRINITÉ-SUR-MER //
Yann Guichard and his eleven crew left the dock in La Trinité-sur-Mer today (Tuesday) at 1130hCET to make their way to the start line of the Jules Verne Trophy. It is anticipated that the maxi trimaran will cross the line off the Créac'h Lighthouse (Ushant) at about 2100hCET this evening. With the current moderate easterly sea breeze, Spindrift should take between six to seven hours to reach the start line area.

all images © Chris Schmid/Spindrift racing

There were some emotional scenes when the twelve-strong Spindrift 2 crew said their goodbyes to relatives and friends on the pontoon at La Trinité-sur-Mer, before setting off for their forty-day record-breaking attempt around the world. As black and gold trimaran eased its way out of the harbour in bright sunshine and a steady easterly breeze, they hoisted their mainsail at the mouth of the river and setting their bows toward the start line at the Créac'h Lighthouse at Ushant, some six to seven hours away. It was a peaceful start and this same tempo looks set to accompany them, as the conditions in the Bay of Biscay look calm and flat for the first few hours of this third attempt on the record.

Five days and dust ...

“There is a good weather window that shows us reaching the equator in a little over five days and the South Atlantic seems to be improving so, hopefully the first section of this record will be good. Spindrift 2 has two new rudders that will allow us to further improve on performance but nevertheless, the record will be difficult to beat! Whatever happens, it is an incredible voyage, and it's still a human, technical and sports adventure. The crew is really motivated and my core team that has been part of this journey before. So we will leave the Bay of Biscay in relatively quiet conditions before accelerating significantly after Cape Finisterre ... "said Yann Guichard before leaving the dock.

Spindrift 2 is due to start the 21,600 mile course on Tuesday, December 3 at 2100h CET. The course is marked by three legendary capes: Good Hope (south of the African continent), Leeuwin (south-west of Australia), Horn (south of the American continent). This is the team’s third attempt at targeting the 40d 23h 30 '30' record around the world.

"You have to be persistent in the Jules Verne Trophy! First you need a good, well-prepared boat, good chemistry amongst the crew and of course, favourable weather conditions. The conditions look to be relatively easy at first, which will give us a nice descent to the Equator. We anticipate that we should be able to reach the Cape of Good Hope in twelve days, which is a very good time compared to the reference time.” Says Erwan Israel (navigator).

Cape of Good Hope: a Focus

"I am very happy with this rather peaceful and calm departure from La Trinité-sur- Mer: it is good way to start a world tour for the first time, so it will be a really big adventure! I do not know the Southern Ocean or the Southern Hemisphere... You experience four seasons during this Jules Verne Trophy: we leave in the autumn, we enter the South Atlantic in the spring, we complete the Southern Ocean in early summer and finish in Brittany in the middle of winter ... " notes the novice Grégory Gendron.

The round-the-world record, which in a quarter of a century has been reduced from 79 days (Commodore Explorer in 1993) to a little over 40 days (IDEC Sport in 2017), usually requires two or three attempts before it is broken. The record has been successfully won by Peter Blake and Robin Knox-Johnston (Enza New Zealand in 1994), Olivier de Kersauson (Sport Elec in 1997), Bruno Peyron (Orange in 2002), Steve Fossett (Cheyenne in 2004), Bruno Peyron (Orange 2 in 2005 ), Franck Cammas (Groupama 3 in 2010), Loïck Peyron (Banque Populaire V in 2012) ...

"I'm not the only one onboard to already have the record, there is also Xavier Revil! Six out of twelve of us have already completed the round the world in a multihull but a coordinated crew, that works well together and knows the boat that, we have optimised over the years, is a key ingredient. Spindrift 2 is now lighter, so more able to get airborne with the added advantage of being able to adjust the thrust with rudders, so it more efficient, and more sensitive. We are trying for a third time, but the Jules Verne Trophy becomes a bit of a habit because as a crew you get hooked after the first attempt! "Says Thierry Chabagny (helmsman).

The crew of Spindrift 2 has changed very little with only Corentin Horeau and Grégory Gendron joining the core team, which made a previous attempt at the beginning of this year. Under the leadership of Yann Guichard, the black and gold trimaran is, once again, ready to face Neptune’s moods as they attempt to beat forty days on this world tour.

“When we arrive back in Brest, I will have completed my first world tour, my first passing of Cape Leeuwin and my first Cape Horn. Last time I only reached the Indian Ocean before we broke our rudder… The conditions for the start are calm, which feels bittersweet as we leave our ‘home’ for the start. The key now is to get a good time to the Equator and on to the Cape of Good Hope. " Concludes Erwan Le Roux (boat-captain).

SPINDRIFT 2 - JULES VERNE TROPHY SQUAD:
Yann Guichard - skipper
Erwan Israël - navigator
Jacques Guichard - watch leader / helm
Jackson Bouttell - helm / bow
Thierry Chabagny - helm
Grégory Gendron - helm
Xavier Revil - watch leader / helm
Corentin Horeau - helm / bow
François Morvan - helm
Duncan Späth - helm
Erwan Le Roux - watch leader / helm
Benjamin Schwartz - helm / bow
---
Jean-Yves Bernot - router
THE JULES VERNE TROPHY:
Start and finish: an imaginary line between Créac’h lighthouse (Isle of Ushant) and Lizard Point (England)
Course: non-stop around-the-world tour travelling without assistance via three capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn)
Minimum distance: 21,600 nautical miles (40,000 kilometres)
Ratification: World Sailing Speed Record Council, www.sailspeedrecords.com
Time to beat: 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds
Average speed: 22,84 knots
Date of current record: January 2017
Holder: IDEC Sport, Francis Joyon and a 5-man crew

**Angry Dolphin** · 12-03-2019, 02:25 PM

One maxi trimaran event ends and another begins!

**Photoboy** · 12-03-2019, 02:39 PM

Breaking News: The Quest Under Way!!!

BREAKING NEWS - 3 December 2019
// JULES VERNE TROPHY: START AT 20h 55' 54" (UTC) //
Spindrift 2 crossed the start line of the Jules Verne Trophy on tuesday 3, decembre 2019 at 20h 55' 54" UTC to begin their 21,600 miles around the world record attempt. The Objective: to beat the existing record of 40-days 23 hours 30 minutes and 30 seconds and cross back over the line again before 20h 27' 25" UTC on January 13, 2020.

The twelve crew of the black and gold trimaran crossed the line in front of the Créac’h Lighthouse (Ushant) at 20h 55' 54" UTC on tuesday 3, decembre 2019 in a very moderate 15k easterly breeze. The relatively calm conditions are a change from the stronger conditions normally associated with a start of a round the world attempt but by daybreak, as Spindrift 2 approaches the Spanish coast, Yann Guichard and his crew should benefit from these constant winds that will veer to northerly strengthening to 25-30 knots and gusting along the Portuguese coast.

It is expected that Spindrift 2 should cross the Bay of Biscay and arrive at the Equator in a little over five days. Once into the Southern Hemisphere, the crew will be able to sail more or less directly to South Africa with a view to cross the longitude of the Cape of Good Hope in less than thirteen days. Once at the entrance to the Indian Ocean, the black and gold trimaran, will be able to assess its performance against the existing record and the potential of completing the 21,600-mile course in record time.

TRACKER

**Photoboy** · 12-04-2019, 12:57 PM

Spindrift's 1st 24 Hour Run A Bit Behind

TRACKER

Spindrift 2 crossed the start line of the Jules Verne Trophy on decembre 3, 2019 at 20H 55' 54" UTC to begin their 21,600 miles around the world record attempt.
The Objective: to beat the existing record of 40-days 23 hours 30 minutes and 30 seconds and cross back over the line again before 20H 27' 25" UTC on January 13, 2020.

The twelve crew of the black and gold trimaran crossed the line in front of the Créac’h Lighthouse (Ushant) at on Decembre 3, 2019 in a very moderate 12-15k easterly breeze. The relatively calm conditions are a change from the stronger conditions normally associated with a start of a round the world attempt but by daybreak, as Spindrift 2 approaches the Spanish coast, Yann Guichard and his crew should benefit from these constant winds that will veer to northerly strengthening to 25-30 knots and gusting along the Portuguese coast.

It is expected that Spindrift 2 should cross the Bay of Biscay and arrive at the Equator in a little over five days. Once into the Southern Hemisphere, the crew will be able to sail more or less directly to South Africa with a view to cross the longitude of the Cape of Good Hope in less than thirteen days. Once at the entrance to the Indian Ocean, the black and gold trimaran, will be able to assess its performance against the existing record and the potential of completing the 21,600-mile course in record time.

04/12/2019 8.00 UTC - SPINDRIFT 2 DATAS
58 miles behind Idec
Distance from start: 206 miles
Speed: 18 knots
Wind Speed: 14 knots

Hello everyone,
Awesome conditions for the beginning of this record. Moon rising on the bow of Spindrift 2, starry sky, flat sea and a bit more wind than expected!
Second half of the night was a bit more tricky, with areas of erratic winds and a few cargo ship to dodge. It should be more stable in the morning.
Temperature-wise, biting cold but dry. We won’t complain as Brittany was very wet in the last few weeks!
Cheers, heading to the bunk for 3h.
Xavier

The meteorological situation is tempting to head south. Well established winds from the North in between a depression over Spain and the anticyclone over the Azores.

Further South, near the canaries, the trade winds will take over.

The good things come to those who wait, Spindrift had to cross the Bay of Biscay with easterly winds badly established. This was the price to pay to escape at more than 35kn tonight and the following day. The negotiation was harsh…

**Photoboy** · 12-05-2019, 09:45 AM

Rudder Instability Forces Spindrift Abandonment Of JVT Attempt

SPINDRIFT 2 STOPS ITS ATTEMPT ON THE JULES VERNE TROPHY: YANN GUICHARD EXPLAINS
MAXI SPINDRIFT 2
December 5, 2019

At about 19:00 (French time) on Wednesday, December 4, Spindrift 2 lost control of its steering. The windward rudder was unable to operate correctly once the boat speed went beyond 35-40 knots, resulting in the black and gold trimaran being unable to stay on course. These issues are in line with problems detected a few weeks ago, which had resulted in erratic performance of the appendages.

“We seem to have had rudder issues for a year now. We broke one in the Indian Ocean last February and, as a result, decided to build two new ones. We had delivery of them in late September, and have carried out several sea trials with them. We thought we had sorted the issue when we left La Trinité-sur-Mer on Tuesday, however these rudders are like a 'sword of Damocles’. The favourable weather conditions around the start at Ushant, gave us the opportunity to check their reliability one last time, before heading into the Southern Ocean,” report Yann Guichard on the phone from Spindrift 2 this afternoon.

"We tried a number of times to solve the problem, but it keeps reappearing at high speeds and we can not control Spindrift 2, even with two crew on the helm. It is not prudent to continue like this, because there is a risk of total loss of the trimaran at high speed, which in turn is a not only a risk to the crew but the steering system could become severely compromised. Though we have managed to regain control of the boat now, we cannot race around the world with this technical problem ... "

The reality is that if Spindrift 2 cannot sail with confidence above 35 knots of speed, there is little chance of improving on the existing reference time for the Jules Verne Trophy, which stands at 40d 23h 30 '30’.

Spindrift 2 had already hooked into the Portuguese trade winds and was in manageable seas with about 25 knots of wind further underlining that, even in benign the conditions, the situation would not improve, however much the crew intervened.

"We are now heading back towards La Trinité-sur-Mer in a moderate easterly wind, but will go through a ridge of depression tonight. We will wait for the winds to abate before entering the channel and we should be back on the pontoon on Friday evening. Given the problems we have to solve, at the moment, I do not think it is realistic to leave this year for an attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy. This is a massive disappointment for the whole team because we had found a good weather window to leave." Concluded the skipper of Spindrift 2

**El Capitan** · 12-05-2019, 09:55 AM

Well that is a bummer, but better safe than sorry.

**IOR Geezer** · 12-05-2019, 11:08 AM

Originally posted by El Capitan View Post

Well that is a bummer, but better safe than sorry.

When you are riding the cutting edge, sometimes the edge can cut!

Announcement

Spindrift II Returns To Standby Mode

Spindrift II Returns To Standby Mode

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