Announcement

**Photoboy** · 11-24-2020, 09:55 PM

Coville And Company Have Begun Their Quest!

Departing Tuesday at 4.30 p.m. from its base in Lorient, Sodebo Ultim 3 crossed the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, at 02h 55min (French time), the starting line of the Jules Verne Trophy, located between the Créac'h lighthouse (Ouessant ) and that of Cape Lizard (southwest of England).

Before setting off, Thomas Coville and his seven crewmen carried out a final navigation on Tuesday morning to validate the repair carried out by the technical team on the starboard foil of Sodebo Ultim 3, which had been damaged on October 8 following to a shock with an UFO.

Back in Lorient at midday, they set out to sea three hours later to take advantage of a favorable weather situation. “We wanted to be able to be opportunistic and take the window that would allow us to take off as soon as possible. We think we have an interesting card to play, ”commented Thomas Coville as he left the pontoon.

What does this weather window look like?

“They will set off on starboard tack in a fairly unstable northwesterly wind of around twenty knots, conditions that are manageable for a crew of eight,” replies Jean-Luc Nélias. They should then have a strong northerly wind off Portugal before descending rapidly towards the equator which they could cross in less than five days. Once in the southern hemisphere, the challenge is to negotiate the Saint Helena high as well as possible to arrive in less than 12 days at Cap des Aiguilles, at the entrance to the Indian Ocean. To do this, it is necessary to create a depression at the level of Cabo Frio, near Rio, which can make it possible to "cut the cheese" in the anticyclone, thus making a shorter route at high speed. This is what we are looking for with this window, but it is still difficult to predict, because it is quite distant in time and the area is unstable. "

To grab the Jules Verne Trophy, held since January 26, 2017 by Idec Sport in 40 days 23 hours 30 minutes and 30 seconds, Thomas Coville, François Duguet, Sam Goodchild, Corentin Horeau, Martin Keruzoré, François Morvan, Thomas Rouxel and Matthieu Vandame must cross the line in Ouessant before Tuesday January 5 at 2h25min (French time, subject to WSSRC).

TRACKER

Patricia Brochard, Co-President of Sodebo:

“The Jules Verne Trophy is an anthology record that has been broken by the biggest names in ocean racing. This crewed round-the-world record attempt comes in a particular context and I hope that it will make the public dream as much as it makes us dream at Sodebo. For the first time, we are going to discover Sodebo Ultim 3 in flying mode. We will also share the life of a group formed by Thomas. This team is incredible, it brings together very talented, daring sailors with different and complementary experiences. In the company, we put collaboration at the heart of our projects because we are convinced that collective intelligence creates value. This is also the reason why we have chosen as emblem "the ampersand", which symbolizes the "and", the “whole” and that we placed it at the heart of the boat. These moments before a departure are always very exhilarating, it is a mix of strong emotions! We are all behind Thomas and the team and will live this adventure intensely. "

**Photoboy** · 11-25-2020, 01:10 PM

It Takes Two To Tango

Thomas Coville's Sodebo Franck Cammas's Gitana teams departed yesterday in a duel
match race around the world in quest of a new Jules Verne Trophy Record. Both teams
are devouring the miles with the current edge going to Gitana which of this writing is at 494 miles under her pontoons
with a 63nm advance of the Idec Sport Reference while Sodebo has 46nm advance and and 426 nm under her floats!

Sodbo images © M.Keruzoré / Sodebo Voile

Gitana Tracker

SODEBO Tracker

Gitana images © Y. Riou / polaRYSE / GITANA S.A.

Sodebo Page

Gitana Page

**Photoboy** · 11-26-2020, 10:26 AM

Keeping The Pace

Starting at 2:55 am on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday to assault the Jules Verne Trophy, Sodebo Ultim 3 evolves after a little more than 24 hours at sea off Portugal, it is 65 miles ahead of the gait chart. 'Idec Sport, record holder.

Sodebo Ultim 3, with Thomas Rouxel at the helm, attacked overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, at 2:55 am precisely, at 38 knots, just after passing a front that had lifted a little sea, nevertheless manageable. , his first Jules Verne Trophy. “Let's go for a nice slice of life! », Can then launch Thomas Coville to his crew. The objective set by the routing unit made up of Jean-Luc Nélias and Philippe Legros: to descend the Bay of Biscay as quickly as possible in a fairly unstable north-westerly wind of around 20 knots, therefore requiring a lot of adjustments.

TRACKER

Something well done about fifteen hours later, since Thomas Coville and his seven teammates (François Duguet, Sam Goodchild, Corentin Horeau, Martin Keruzoré, François Morvan, Thomas Rouxel and Matthieu Vandame) passed Cape Finisterre, at the forefront north-west Spain, Wednesday from 5 p.m. Not without offering a beautiful duel on sight, immortalized by the camera of Martin Keruzoré, with the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, who left 31 minutes after them, Thomas Coville having even taken the time to exchange on the VHF with the leading crew. by Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier, his former “colleagues” in the victorious 2011-2012 Volvo Ocean Race!

images © M.Keruzoré / Sodebo Voile

This early Thursday morning, Sodebo Ultim 3, which covered 685 miles during the first 24 hours, at almost 29 knots on average, is sailing off Lisbon in a strong wind of around 30 knots, past to the north, which goes allow him to continue at high speed his descent of the North Atlantic, heading towards Madeira. He is 65 miles ahead of the Idec Sport chart, holder of the Jules Verne Trophy since January 2017, a nice birthday present for Thomas Rouxel, who turns 38 today!

**Photoboy** · 11-27-2020, 11:14 AM

48.5 Knots Of SOG and a 58.33 nm Advance

Sodebo Ultim 3, which has covered 755 miles in 24 hours, averaging 31.5 knots, is sailing at the latitude of the Canaries this morning, with a 124-mile lead on the table of Idec Sport, holder of the Jules Trophy. Verne. After the first 48 hours started, Thomas Coville and his seven teammates should benefit from increasingly favorable conditions during the day for a good glide towards the equator.

The smiles were bright on the faces of the “Sodeboys” on Thursday around 6 pm on the occasion of the first weekly “live” organized from the Team's base in Lorient. Thomas Coville was able to talk live about the start of the Jules Verne Trophy committed: “We crossed a lot of squalls, with an unstable wind in terms of strength and direction, which required constant reaction to changing conditions. The wind is strong, but that's what we wanted and in a few hours, things will calm down and we will enter a more flying phase. I feel like I've been gone for a very long time, when it's barely 36 hours. Everyone has picked up their pace, the shifts follow one another, we managed to sleep and eat well, we take incredible pleasure. "

TRACKER

And Sodebo Ultim 3 has already achieved impressive speeds, since the skipper added: “For the moment, it's François Morvan who has the palm with a peak at 48.9 knots, but it's not the objective, we try rather to have high average speeds which do not affect the boat. You have to keep in mind the trade-off between performance and wear and tear all the time, that's my responsibility, so I don't necessarily push guys to go very fast, because the risk is rush the boat and tire them. "

The crew lived their first birthday on board Thursday, that of Thomas Rouxel who was celebrating his 38th birthday and had the right to a "sport cake", with a lighter as a candle, brought to them by the boat-captain François Duguet: “This is far from the first time this has happened to me. Already last year, I was on Sodebo Ultim 3 during the return delivery from Cape Town, he commented. It's a time when, in general, we sail a lot, I used to spend my birthdays and Christmases at sea. ”

The gifts of the Costarmorican? An advance on the Idec Sport chart which has doubled in 24 hours (124 miles this Friday morning) and conditions which will gradually subside: “After a fairly committed start to the race, we are only heading towards the easiest. So far, we were more in 25-30 knots of wind with seas up to 4.5 meters; We now expect 15-20 knots and between 1 and 3 meters at sea, it will be funnier. Because the flatter the sea, the more comfortable the boat is to live in while still going just as fast, these are the optimal speeds for Sodebo Ultim 3. ”

This was confirmed by the trimaran's router, Jean-Luc Nélias, on Thursday evening: “The wind will gradually ease and turn, the sea will flatten out, the temperature will heat up. From Friday they will be in very nice trade winds, but they will not last that long, because the boat is going very fast, they should be at the equator in about 5 days. "

**Photoboy** · 11-29-2020, 10:43 PM

Sodebo Ultim 3 entered the Doldrums last night, a vast area north of the equator, in which the trade winds from the northern and southern hemispheres converge and which generates squalls and bubbles without wind. Hence a slowdown this morning, which should only be temporary for Thomas Coville and his crew, expected at the equator next night after about five days at sea.

After a day of Saturday at 30 knots on average heading straight south, the “Sodeboys” have been facing the vagaries of the famous Doldrums since last night. This broad band which, north of the equator, stretches from the north of Brazil to the Gulf of Guinea, is also called the intertropical convergence zone, because it contains the northeast trade winds of the northern hemisphere and south-eastern part of the Southern Hemisphere. Their confrontation creates a very disturbed weather phenomenon, with on one side large windless bubbles, from which it can be very complicated to extricate themselves, on the other, sometimes violent squalls, the wind can suddenly rise from a few knots to over 30.

TRACKER

Some have left a lot of feathers there, hence the extreme attention paid by the weather routing cell to choose the best entry point, in order to allow Sodebo Ultim 3 to cross this Doldrums as quickly as possible. . And on board, you have to be extra vigilant, both to get to the right place and thus avoid falling into "slack", but also to adapt the settings to conditions likely to suddenly change. Saturday, in his video of the day, Martin Keruzoré, the media man (and trimmer) of the team confided: “The Doldrums does not look easy, so in my opinion, at night going to be long with a lot of maneuvering. "

And indeed, the Doldrums are not obvious for Thomas Coville and his seven teammates, who for the past few hours have seen their forward progress slowed down, losing part of their lead on the Idec Sport scoreboard, holder of the Jules Verne Trophy (125 miles Sunday at 8 a.m.). But once out of the zone, probably during the day, Sodebo Ultim 3 will once again pick up speed to switch, the next night, in the southern hemisphere, after more or less 5 days at sea. The benchmark chrono at the equator is held by Spindrift 2 in 4 days 19 hours and 57 minutes (January 2019), Idec Sport had for its part taken 5 days 18 hours and 59 minutes during its victorious Jules Verne four years ago.

***********************

A WORD FROM THOMAS COVILLE
NOVEMBER 28 AT 1 P.M.

Always so intense these departures around the world. I don't know if we can prepare for it or get used to it, but the emotions or feelings that flow in these moments always generate a strange sensation, between the lump in the stomach, the desire to relive it and go back there low, where living conditions change your relationship to the world and to each other.
Live differently for sure! In a parenthesis, like one more chance to be otherwise, or just really.

Departure at night with the Créach lighthouse which turns around our heads, and this line which cuts the sleeve and determines the point of departure and arrival, which materializes a loop around before the tour of the Antarctic continent.

Jean Luc, after having stressed us all to leave quickly, leaves us a few hours to breathe, to recover our spirits, to try to sleep and to evacuate the excess of emotions, to recover as in a flight forward in the real and the starting technique. Choose the angle, the sail, the right timing to launch all the desire in a speed.

We will not be alone on this departure. After having preferred to postpone their departure for a few days, Franck and his team decided to match us! It is not trivial, to set off on a Jules Verne, but even less to be chased by such a team whose ambitions are clearly displayed: "to be the first to fly around the world!" ". The boat, the team, everything has been optimized for years to succeed in this daring bet.

It goes quickly, even very quickly. I leave the helm to Thomas Rouxel for the start and take on the role of skipper / navigator to set the tempo, the roadmap with Jean-Luc and the trajectory.

Quickly after falling into an area that I haven't really explained to myself, Franck and his team come back to us and we find ourselves side by side. I give myself a little call on the VHF and run into Erwan. The conversation has no interest but it was to mark the closeness of our mutual commitment and my respect for being side by side with them.
Incredible visual duel where the teams engage and find themselves on the water, with the challenge of not losing this first big confrontation ... And yet the road is so long that to get caught up in the game of the only match would be a mistake strategy in which neither of them would emerge a winner.

Conditions are building up; the strong wind around this low pressure center around Lisbon is very present, and the sea is short and delicate at times to negotiate at high speed. We will have to manage and it starts there, a Jules Verne. Dose, manage, analyze, understand and act with often your guts, a feeling, an experience, a feeling of another situation which then comes back to you. Jacques, Laurent, Olivier, Bruno, Knut… and so many others, what would they have done?

At 8, the pattern is quite different from what I'm used to, and I trust them so I trust myself. We decide on an approach and a basic sail configuration, foils, appendages around which we will turn and work as a basis of the recipe, and we will articulate everything around this sequence. The wrong choice can be fatal.

We will then unroll and chain the maneuvers. I don't count and we adapt. Change in front and taking of reefs succeeding each other in the right order, we have the rhythm and things go well. The team responds perfectly, no mistakes, no missteps. We have to repeat and repeat these sequences to play them now. Sam at the piano, excels, Mat [Matthieu Vandame] sees everything and with his physical power sets the pace, they take turns in front and behind on the field with François [Duguet] and Corentin who control and reassure. We take our time. François [Morvan] and Tom [Rouxel] at the helm are confident, careful and respectful of the guys outside exposed, and the equipment. Martin is there and he observes everything with his expert eye, nothing escapes him, he is my eyes when I sleep, he devotes himself to others so that everyone is there when I need them.

It goes .

We then use the other trimaran to set up in speed and demand. What pressure, of course, but what luck!

Yesterday I was lying next to the chart table to recover from this passage, from the jibe which was almost going to decide our passage in 2 days of the doldrums, when I hear it talking loudly. Big news!
"They turn around… They hit…". I don't take very long to understand. A few tens of miles behind us, the incident happened to them. The one we all fear. The one that we do not even wish our worst adversary for having already suffered it many times. The damage that eliminates without option or so rarely.
Sailing with Franck was one of my greatest luck, competing against him is a privilege that requires you to be at your best.

I greet you gentlemen, Franck, Charles, Erwan, Yann, David, Morgan. I keep to myself this image of this sublime trimaran which flies over water, which gives off such power. This extraordinary boat that inspires us all. No doubt you will return, I wish you.

********************

DAY 4: THE TRADE WINDS WARM UP THE BODY AND THE HEART
In the early morning of the fourth day, Sodebo Ultim 3 continued its descent of the North Atlantic, flashed on Saturday at 30 knots about 40 miles west of the Cape Verde archipelago. Since the day before, it has been operating in a trade wind regime which, after the first 48 wet hours, allows the crew to breathe a little. While remaining focused on the smooth running of the boat, ahead this morning by 230 miles on the Idec Sport chart.

As Jean-Luc Nélias, head of the onshore routing unit, announced Thursday evening, Sodebo Ultim 3 touched the north-eastern trade winds of the northern hemisphere on Friday morning. Conditions more pleasant than those encountered since the start of Ouessant, as Matthieu Vandame confirmed on Friday evening: “The weather in one day has changed dramatically. Thursday, there was a lot of air and it was very humid, whereas since this morning, it is summer, the boat is drying, too. With a little more heat, we tend to see the water more beautiful… ”

On board Sodebo Ultim 3, the shifts are linked, requiring, according to the 38-year-old helmsman / trimmer, a lot of concentration: “We work on two-hour shifts during which we are fully to keep the boat moving. When you're not steering, you always check the settings of the sails and appendages, you try to see what can be improved. Then there is the helm part which gives a lot of pleasure, but is also very involved, because the boat is very thin. The autopilot works well to take over, which is necessary, because after about 40 minutes / an hour, you become a little less precise. Around these two shift hours, we have one stand-by hour before and one after to accompany the active shift. There is really a great cohesion in the crew, we are all in the perspective of performance, it is very efficient, healthy and enjoyable. "

After more than three days at sea, Sodebo Ultim 3 is just over 230 miles ahead of Idec Sport, holder of the Jules Verne Trophy. A Jules Verne Trophy which is the first great offshore adventure for Matthieu Vandame, until now mainly specialized in short regatta formats (America's Cup, SailGP…). Hence a lot of emotion when leaving the pontoon and his family last Tuesday:

“It has happened to me to leave for a long time without my family, but I had access to all means of communication, I slept in the hotel, there was a certain comfort. While there, you leave for about forty days, knowing that the means of communication are more restricted, it is more complicated to exchange, especially with my children, Nina, 12 years old, and Alec, 5 years old. So, yes, the moment of departure was a bit tricky to manage, especially since until the end, there was uncertainty. But once we have left, we immediately switch to another format, we only think of moving the boat forward quickly all the time. And so far, it's working very well! "

**Photoboy** · 12-01-2020, 03:20 PM

Brazil To Starboard

The day after crossing the equator, Sodebo Ultim 3 is sailing Tuesday morning off the northeastern tip of Brazil, near Natal. Thomas Coville and his seven team-mates managed to increase their lead a little on the board of Idec Sport (around 70 miles), holder of the Jules Verne Trophy.

The passage of the equator, Monday at 12:45 after 5 days 9 hours and 50 minutes at sea, will have been greeted with relief by the crew after a complex Doldrums. But also with a little emotion for the "rookie" on board, Corentin Horeau, for whom it was a first.

“I could have taken it for the first time in the Transat Jacques Vabre in 2015 with Nicolas Troussel in Class40, but we had given up, which deprived us of the equator. So it was only a postponement. Now, after this first one, I can't wait to pass the other round-the-world deadlines, and in particular the famous capes, Bonne-Espérance, Leeuwin, and Cape Horn. "

TRACKER

The program of the day aboard Sodebo Ultim 3, which is progressing at around 20 knots average speed since leaving the Doldrums in a moderate south-easterly trade wind? "Descend as quickly as possible towards the south along Brazil, then negotiate as best as possible the passage of the anticyclone to make a fair weather at Cap des Aiguilles (the southernmost point of South Africa, which marks the 'entry into the Indian Ocean)', replies the sailor from La Trinité-sur-Mer.

Who is delighted with the "great atmosphere" on board, essential for everyone to be focused on performance:

“We have now found our rhythm, we feel that everyone is more comfortable in their quarters; last night (from Sunday to Monday), we were all a little knocked out because we had worked a lot in the Doldrums, it is also not easy to sleep during the day, it is very hot in the inside. But all is well, we have no big breakage, just a little DIY, and in this case, we have our McGyver (the boat-captain François Duguet), who, as soon as there is a little less wind, takes out the toolbox. "

The next weather objective, after the descent of the Brazilian coast, will be the bypassing of the Saint Helena anticyclone, located in the middle of the South Atlantic, before the Deep South within a few days. “When you've never been there, there's bound to be apprehension, you ask yourself lots of questions, that's normal. We'll see what it looks like, I can't wait. In any case, I am thoroughly! », Smiles Corentin Horeau.

https://tropheejulesverne.sodebo.com...sil-a-tribord/

**Photoboy** · 12-01-2020, 11:17 PM

Calm Before The Storm

A LITTLE CALM BEFORE THE DEEP SOUTH

Having started a week ago now, Sodebo Ultim 3, which has already covered 3,700 miles (6,860 kilometers), continues its descent of the South Atlantic along the Brazilian coast, with good averages again (28 knots in the last 24 hours). This allowed the crew led by Thomas Coville to increase their lead on the Idec Sport scoreboard (155 miles at 6 a.m. Wednesday).

Since Tuesday morning, Sodebo Ultim 3 has been along the coast of Brazil in a rather pleasant south-easterly trade wind regime, as Sam Goodchild, one of the eight team members of the Ultim, explains:

“It's pretty calm, the sea is fairly flat, the wind not too strong, not even enough from time to time, but we still manage to keep speeds between 20 and 30 knots. It's a good time to rest because there aren't too many changes of sails and conditions, it's also an opportunity to “check” the boat had to go to the South Seas, where it will be colder and where there will be more wind and sea. "

Brazil also brings back good memories to the only Briton on board, who celebrated his 31st birthday a few days before departure:

“A year ago exactly, I was in more or less the same place for the finish of the Transat Jacques Vabre, we finished second with Fabien Delahaye in Class40. And just before Salvador de Bahia, we had been passed by Sodebo Ultim 3, which was competing in the Brest Atlantiques. It's a great memory and it's great to come back alongside Brazil a year later with this beautiful boat and a great crew. "

On board Sodebo Ultim 3, the quarters are linked for the seven crew members (Thomas Coville is out of watch):

“We each do one hour of stand-by, two hours on the bridge, then another hour of stand-by, before going to bed for two hours,” continues Sam Goodchild. There is never a full shift change, one person changes every hour. This makes it possible to always have someone on deck who has followed what has happened for an hour, but also to all meet at least once during the day, it's nice. "

These trade winds will continue throughout the day on Wednesday, before an upcoming change in the weather system which is quite uncertain if the Englishman is to be believed:

“The transition between the trade winds and the southern seas may be a bit complicated, but it looks like it could go well. We will in any case do everything we can to negotiate this transition efficiently and quickly before ending up in the southern seas where conditions will be harsher and where we will have to be more careful, because we will be far from everything. "

**Photoboy** · 12-03-2020, 11:05 AM

Working Through The Light Air Segments

NEWS FROM ONBOARD @sodebovoile 👇
We’re coming up to day 10 of this Jules Verne record attempt and we’re just off south Brazil getting into the transition between the southern Atlantic trade winds and a low pressure system which will take us across the Atlantic and into the southern ocean.

A bit of a delicate transition between lights winds in the east and a front in the west, but we should be in front of the low pressure tomorrow if all goes to plan.
On board everyone is on good form. We have a watch system of 6 people (skipper Thomas and media man Martin are floating) with a rotation of 1 person every hour. So there’s never a full fresh crew on deck and at once. Which makes, 2 hours on watch, 1 hours on standby, 2 hours off watch and then one our on standby. A 6 hour rotation with 2 people on, 2 people off and 2 on sta ndby at anytime. It’s nice that we all see each other at some time during the system. And the standby we use for helping the watch if there’s a manoeuvre or maintenance of man and machine 🙂.

What’s great about these new foiling ultimes is how little wind we need to get going. We’ve probably had an average wind speed of under 20kts since the start but an average boat speed of about 30. So what we spend most of our time looking for is flat water to be able to get the boat foiling.

Compared to the record we still have a bit of an advantage on IDEC but our main preoccupation is staying in contention by the time we get to Australia. Because they had a near perfect Indian Ocean crossing which will be hard to match. If everything goes to plan that should be the case... then there’s the other half of the world to get around!!
We are in the last couple days of warm weather before the temperatures plummet in the southern ocean. So we’re making the best of it because head gear and gloves will surely be the norm for most of the next 3 weeks. Then we should be back in shorts of the Brazilian coast for Christmas.

Will try to give you more news soon when we’ll be dodging ice bergs on the way to the Kerguelen islands.
© M.Keruzoré / Sodebo Voile

**Photoboy** · 12-05-2020, 11:58 AM

525 NM Advance And Gaining!

As expected by the routing unit, Sodebo Ultim 3, managed to position itself in front of a depression shifting to the east, began a long edge on Friday night which will take it to Kerguelen. On Saturday morning, Thomas Coville and his seven crew are averaging 34 knots, which allowed them to increase their lead over the Idec Sport chart, by over 400 miles.

Jean-Luc Nélias summed up the weekend program on Friday in his daily weather report: “From this evening, the speed race begins. “And indeed, for several hours, Sodebo Ultim 3, after having finished with the bypass to the west of the Saint Helena high, has considerably lengthened its stride. This Saturday morning, her average over the last 24 hours is 34.2 knots and this long edge of speed in the 40th, port tack ahead of a low pressure, will last a few more days, as far as the Kerguelen. Previously, the crew will have swung into the Indian Ocean at the level of Cap des Aiguilles, the southernmost point of South Africa located after Bonne-Espérance, on Monday morning, i.e. in about 12 days, the objective starting from 'Ushant on November 25.

In anticipation of the Deep South, the boat-captain François Duguet is confident about Sodebo Ultim 3's ability to withstand these days at full speed: “I have no apprehension, the boat is ready, the crew too, I can't wait to go. "Responsible for technically watching over the trimaran, the 39-year-old sailor has, by his own admission, not had much to do in this area since the start a little over 10 days ago:" First 4-5 days, I didn't even open the toolbox. Then, we took advantage of crossing the Doldrums to do some odds and ends, but it was mainly preventive and safety. »What does he look at first when he does a« check »of the boat?

TRACKER

“First of all everything that is rigging: boom, guy ropes, anchoring. After the link arms, the structure below to see if there is no impact; finally the helm transmission systems and rudders. Basically, everything that is not visible from the living cell. "

On board, the one who confides that he is “always well at sea”, also plays, with his good humor, the “ambianceurs”, without forcing himself: “I don't know if I am the teaser of the crew, let's say that I am perhaps a little more expressive, that I have the verb a little higher than some, even if there are some who are not left out. It is important when we leave for 40 days, in a kind of closed session, to keep a good atmosphere so that morale remains high, it involves good words and small relaxed moments. "

This good atmosphere is also fueled by Thomas Coville who sets the pace on board:

“Personally, it's a discovery for me to go on a record for so long and not have a direct competitor,” continues François Duguet. It's not easy, sometimes you have to do yourself a little violence, constantly re-motivate yourself, but Thomas is there for that and he does it very well. He calls us to order, asks us to stay focused on the numbers and settings. On a record, we fight against ourselves, it requires constant concentration. "

**Photoboy** · 12-06-2020, 12:57 PM

886 Miles In 24 Hours

TRACKER

Sodebo Ultim 3, launched since Friday evening in a long sprint towards the Indian Ocean, comes out of a memorable Saturday day: Thomas Coville and his crew covered between Saturday and Sunday at midday 886 miles in 24 hours (1640km at 36.9 knots average), very close to the absolute 24 hour record (908.2 miles per Banque Populaire V in 2009). Their lead on the Idec Sport chart has increased further, by 651 miles this Sunday at 1 p.m.

What a day ! Between Saturday and Sunday at midday, Sodebo Ultim 3 posted the third all-time performance over 24 hours, the trimaran having “swallowed” 885.7 miles, averaging 36.9 knots. In the history of the 24-hour record, only Banque Populaire V did better during its North Atlantic record in the summer of 2009, with 908.2 miles (37.84 knots), then Idec Sport on its Jules Verne victorious four years ago (894 miles). Suffice to say that if the "Sodeboys" continue at this rate, they could hang a first record on their hunting table.

Who says average at 36 knots says peaks at more than 40, as Thomas Rouxel explained on Saturday evening, when Sodebo Ultim 3 had just passed under the island of Gough Island: “Since our last maneuver, we have not not been below 35 knots, we even made an hour above 40. I had never experienced this before, only these boats allow it, in particular conditions: there, we is at the front of a depression, which allows us to have strong wind and flat seas, it is quite exceptional. "

Under these conditions, the autopilot is called upon: “At these speeds and when reaching, crosswind, the pilot steers better than the man; especially that at times, could not see 50 meters, continues the helmsman / adjuster of 38 years. We take care of the settings to get the most out of the boat's performance: we set ourselves an ideal heeling angle and we try to stick to it with the sheet and mainsail carriage settings. If the wind eases, we can also adjust the jib settings. "

At these speeds, life on board is quite sporty: “It moves a lot, it makes a lot of noise, the movements of the boat are quite violent, it is complicated to move, you have to behave all the time. This afternoon, I prepared a small pasta dish for the community, it was a little adventure, I managed not to burn myself! "Despite this, the eight sailors manage to get to sleep:" As we are very tired, we manage to fall asleep and sleep properly, we have good mattresses and good sleeping bags, "confirms Thomas Rouxel.

Who keeps some well-watered memories of the Great South: "The main ones are the big storms, like the one we had on the last edition of the Volvo Ocean Race on the Cape Horn stage (aboard Team Brunel) . We had 35 knots of average wind and a swell of 10 meters, that gave some impressive images, especially since on the Volvo 65s, you are all the time outside steering and adjusting, you are under the waves. »What is less the case on Sodebo Ultim 3:

“We are looking for flat seas and winds of 20 knots; according to today's forecast, these are conditions that should be maintained almost as far as Cape Leeuwin. "

And Thomas Rouxel concluded: “Going around the world on an Ultim trimaran is every sailor's dream; It's going relatively quickly, 40 days at sea, in a very good “comfort” all the same compared to a Volvo 65, where you are underwater all the time, or even an Imoca which is a very hard boat. It's the best, I'm happy to come back to these corners on Sodebo Ultim 3, even if it remains the South: we will be cold, we will be wet all the time because the humidity is 100%, there will constantly be condensation in the bins, it remains a relative comfort. "

**Photoboy** · 12-07-2020, 11:57 AM

One Cape Down: The Indian Ocean Beckons

Storming the Jules Verne Trophy, Sodebo Ultim 3 crossed the Cape of Good Hope this Monday morning with a 17:35 lead over Idec Sport. The 8 crewmen of the giant trimaran got to grips with the subject of the Indian Ocean at 50 ° South. On the program: strong wind, sea, cold and high speed!

After the beautiful glide of the weekend in the South Atlantic which allowed Sodebo Ultim 3 to run full ball towards the Cape of Good Hope, crossed Monday at 5 am, Thomas Coville and his seven teammates have changed the atmosphere at the same time. ocean time: "It's engaged, the sea is forming, the Indian Ocean is for me the most difficult", comments Thomas Coville in an impressive video sent by Martin Keruzoré, where we see the trimaran was going at full speed under a gray sky and on rough seas. “We changed the mood in two or three days, we're in the fridge! “, Smiles a hooded Corentin Horeau, referring to the small 4 ° C displayed on the thermometer.

For the skipper of Sodebo Ultim 3, “Bonne-Espérance is the course of hope, it is also the course of decision, to go there or to turn around. »In this case, in agreement with the routing unit made up of Jean-Luc Nélias and Philippe Legros, Thomas Coville has chosen to continue the journey started on November 25:

“Today, we believe that we are in honorable times, we know that the continuation to Cape Leeuwin (southwestern tip of Australia), or even to New Zealand, will be worse than what 'made our benchmark competitors (Idec Sport), but it was the moment when we had to make up our minds, we got started. "

TRACKER

And well started, since in Bonne-Espérance, Sodebo Ultim 3 was 17 hours and 35 minutes ahead of the scoreboard of the holder of the Jules Verne Trophy. This only confirms to Jean-Luc Nélias that the window chosen at the start was worth trying: “We respected the schedule for this window, we knew that it was not excellent, but the result is in line with what we had planned. "

ICEBERGS UNDER SURVEILLANCE
The rest of the program? “It promises to be more complicated than for Idec who had been straight to New Zealand,” he continues. We are going to have more tailwind and when we arrive towards Cape Leeuwin, there is a complex weather situation with either light or very bad weather, but it can also go very well. We will probably lose the lead accumulated so far, it would be good to be tied with Idec under New Zealand. This would make it possible to attack the Pacific with a chance of seizing the record.

Until then, we will have to negotiate at best an Indian Ocean where a few icebergs and growlers have been spotted (pieces of ice that break off) that the crew and the routing cell are carefully monitoring, with the support of CLS, a specialized company. in their detection.

“Unlike the Vendée Globe where an ice limit is imposed on all competitors, nothing constrains us, except the safety of the boat and especially the crew,” explains Jean-Luc Nélias. We have to take a little risk because the shortest route goes closer to the ice, it is a particular mix to find. As the smallest object detectable by satellite images measures 20 meters, we are also relying on statistics and our expertise. "

Suffice to say that the time has come for the most extreme concentration, both aboard Sodebo Ultim 3 and at the Team's base in Lorient, where Jean-Luc Nélias and Philippe Legros are keeping an eye out: “The pace is intense here too, confirms the first. Between 7 a.m. and noon, we are in full swing, between videoconferences for ice cream, retrieving weather files, preparing bulletins and routing. The afternoon is more of follow-up, which allows us to take a nap or play sports. And at night, we also have shifts; we have the same alarms as on the boat: speed, heading, atmospheric pressure… we experience it like a ninth crew member. »Thoroughly ...

To grab the Jules Verne Trophy, held since January 26, 2017 by Idec Sport in 40 days 23 hours 30 minutes and 30 seconds, Thomas Coville, François Duguet, Sam Goodchild, Corentin Horeau, Martin Keruzoré, François Morvan, Thomas Rouxel and Matthieu Vandame must cut the line at Ushant before Tuesday, January 5 at 2:25 am (French time, subject to WSSRC validation).

**Photoboy** · 12-08-2020, 05:32 PM

Sodebo's Southern Ocean Sleigh Ride Continues

Soon two weeks at sea for Sodebo Ultim 3 which continues to sail eastward and the Kerguelen archipelago, located a little over 1000 miles from its bow on Tuesday morning. After a day at 32 knots on average, Thomas Coville and his seven crew are still ahead of the Idec Sport chart (500 miles at 6am).

Despite a fairly chaotic start to the Indian Ocean, as shown in the video sent on Monday by media man Martin Keruzoré, Sodebo Ultim 3 manages to maintain good speed: after a little over 13 days at sea, the trimaran has sailed 765 miles in the last 24 hours, averaging 32 knots. The conditions are underway, prompting Matthieu Vandame, coxswain / trimmer to say on Monday: “There are 30 knots established, a lot of seas, it's very cold, things are going very quickly, things are moving a lot, you have to keep on keeping up. "

TRACKER

The tempo remains high, the result of a permanent exchange between Thomas Coville at sea and the onshore routing unit made up of Jean-Luc Nélias and Philippe Legros. “We offer and they have it, it's always a loop between us,” explains Jean-Luc Nélias. We are a bit of a spur, but generally, the instructions we give them are achievable, we try to be realistic and we obviously take into account the problems on board. And with Thomas, we start to get used to working together. "

Jean-Luc Nélias has indeed accompanied the skipper of Sodebo Ultim 3 on his attempts to set a single-handed round-the-world record for the Route du Rhum, but also at sea, especially last year on the Brest Atlantiques. This essential complicity allows the two men to agree on the rhythm to keep, even if it is above all nature that decides, according to the router: "The weather always requires going a little faster to avoid to be caught up by light winds or by a beating stroke; we decide on some adaptations, but overall, it's the weather that directs us and sets the tempo. "

A weather which therefore remains currently strong for Sodebo Ultim 3, slightly raised in latitude last night, since it is moving at 48 ° 50 South, in a north-westerly flow which will gradually turn to the west. This will undoubtedly force the crew to stall one or more gybes on the Kerguelen route. And explains that the lead over Idec Sport, particularly swift four years ago on this part of the route, has dropped a little in 24 hours.

Linky

**Photoboy** · 12-10-2020, 10:52 AM

Pushing To The Limit

The rough hours of the Indian
More than 15 days at sea for Thomas Coville and his seven teammates who spent the night from Wednesday to Thursday under the Kerguelen, before gybing by 53 ° South just in front of Heard Island, which belongs to Australia. After an average day at 29 knots, Sodebo Ultim 3 remains ahead of the Idec Sport chart (160 miles at 6 o'clock).

Air temperature 2 °, water temperature 2 ° C also, the cold is de rigueur this Thursday morning aboard Sodebo Ultim 3. After going very south, down to 53 °, the trimaran is elsewhere in the process of moving up on the port tack in a more manageable wind of around twenty knots to skirt an area of icebergs identified on the starboard side.

TRACKER

On Wednesday, the living conditions on board remained difficult in heavy seas, as François Duguet said:

“I feel good, it's an accomplishment to be in the Great South, a childhood dream, even if I don't hide the fact that there are little moments that are a bit difficult. The Indian is a tough, demanding ocean, the sea has been rough for two to three days, it's really hard to move around in the boat, there are constant acceleration and deceleration, everyday life is enough athletic. At the beginning, we are a little surprised, there are two or three of us who are slightly injured, but after 36 hours, we adapt, the human body is able to push its limits. We walk on all fours to prepare our food; Right now, I'm almost lying on the table so as not to smash myself every ten seconds in the front of the cockpit, we find tips, we are a bit like animals. We know that the Jules Verne Trophy is not a sprint, but an endurance race, sometimes you have to know how to keep your back round. "

The annoyance of the day for the boat-captain of Sodebo Ultim 3: “The olive oil has frozen, it's very critical! On board, there is a whole bunch of Bretons who only eat butter, so they don't seem to take offense, but me, it bothers me a lot, because it's one of the important elements of my food, I hope that the tabasco will not freeze… ”

Always very attentive to the boat, François Duguet estimates "the potential almost intact at this stage", the crew using in particular the many sensors on board, both to adjust it well, but also to measure the efforts that he supports: "As we spend most of the time confined in our small cell in front of the mast, the sensors help to have good setting marks on the appendages, the angles of attack of the foils, and to give us information on the constraints, even if they are sometimes put to the test: it happens that they send us erroneous information, in this case, we try to visually control, to put our head out of the window. "

And on land, the technical team of the Sodebo team is watching:

"The analysis of an engineer in the design office, quiet at his desk, allows us to have more precise answers and information than our on-board analysis, confirms the 39-year-old sailor. I compare it to F1: the driver is on the track, focused on moving the car forward, and on the wall, there are the engineers who see the numbers scrolling and analyze them. We are a bit the same. "

*********************************

Sodebo Ultim 3 began on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday its third week at sea in an Indian Ocean still quite chaotic. This explains the lower speeds than the previous days (25 knots over 24 hours) and a decrease over Idec Sport (235 miles at 6 o'clock). Thomas Coville and his teammates should spend the next night under the Kerguelen.

Since the passage of Cap des Aiguilles on Monday morning, the “Sodeboys” have the right to the “shaker” version of the Indian Ocean with wind and rough seas that cannot be easily tamed. An Indian Ocean which brings back some memories to Sam Goodchild:

“I already know the South a bit, because I had done a stage of the Global Ocean Race in Class40 between Cape Town and Wellington in 2011; I also came two years ago with Spindrift on the Jules Verne Trophy, we had passed just south of the Kerguelen, there was a little less sea, it was a little easier. "

If the current living conditions on board are not obvious, this region of the globe remains a source of fascination for many sailors: "It is certain that the South Seas and the Indian Ocean are mythical places, confirms the native of Bristol. When you're young, you hear lots of stories about world tours, the Vendée Globe, The Ocean Race, the Jules Verne Trophy, so coming yourself is quite special, it doesn't. not happen ten times in a lifetime. We try to take advantage of it, these are intense experiences that will make us stronger in the future and also unite us as a crew. "

How does he feel after two weeks at sea?

“Overall, everything is fine. We all have mini-worries, because it's not easy what we make our body experience: we don't sleep as usual, we don't eat the same, there aren't five minutes in the day when things don't move and there is no noise, it's tiring, but it was expected. And we do everything we can to keep the body like the boat in shape. "

And to regenerate morally, we sometimes send little words to our loved ones, which Sam Goodchild does regularly: "I just communicate with my family, it's always nice to keep the link with the land, to see what happens. at home and what to expect when we come back. We don't have a lot of time to devote to it, it's not very easy to send an email with the wind and the waves, but it's a little pleasure that I manage to take every two or three days . "

On board, the crew also follows the wanderings of the Vendée Globe sailors, located in their north: “We look at the rankings on the computer, it's great to follow, we are much further south than them, but we experiences more or less the same things at the same times, ”concludes the man who dreams of one day racing around the world alone.

**Photoboy** · 12-11-2020, 10:39 AM

Sodebo Halts Jules Verne Record Attempt

After a little over 16 days at sea, the crew of Sodebo Ultim 3 decided this Friday December 11 to stop their attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy.
While navigating between the Kerguelen and Cape Leeuwin, at over 30 knots, Thomas Coville and his seven crew noticed damage to the starboard rudder. After several hours of hard work, discussions with the technical team on land, they had to face the facts.

The repair no longer allows the boat to sail at 100% of its capacity in an attempt to beat the Jules Verne Trophy record, they have decided to interrupt their attempt, which began on November 25 at 2:55 a.m.

Thomas Coville, François Duguet, Sam Goodchild, Corentin Horeau, Martin Keruzoré, François Morvan, Thomas Rouxel and Matthieu Vandame will have shown that Sodebo Ultim 3 has the potential to beat the Idec Sport record (40 days 23 hours and 30 minutes).

It is therefore legitimately very disappointed that they give up following this round the world tour, but with the conviction that the record is within their reach.
For the rest of the operations and logistical questions, they are heading for Reunion - 2300 miles from where they are now - in order to make the boat more reliable and return safely to Lorient.

Patricia Brochard, co-president of Sodebo: “Getting involved in the Jules Verne Trophy requires a very high level of human and technical preparation. Thomas, François, Sam, Corentin, Martin, François, Thomas and Matthieu rose to this challenge and showed total mental and physical commitment. On land, the routing unit and the entire Lorient team were also admirable during this attempt. I want to thank them for all the work done. We have succeeded in making our audiences dream through this extraordinary adventure. This abandonment is of course a disappointment for all. But he will also be a trainer and learner in order to meet our next challenges. "

Announcement

Sodebo Joins The Jules Verne Rush

Sodebo Joins The Jules Verne Rush

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