Category: Spindrift Racing

Sails of Change will not cast off this year to challenge the round the world Jules Verne Trophy record and is calling a halt to the stand-by period that has kept the team in Brest, France, for several months during the autumn and winter waiting for a weather window that has remained elusive.

Another time! While the crew remain ready and motivated, like other contenders, the team could not launch a challenge on the record this year due to unfavourable weather conditions.

The stand-by must end sometime !

“We’ll return the maxi-trimaran to our base in La Trinité/Mer today. Although we extended our stand-by period, there were no weather windows,” said Yann Guichard. “We have pushed the deadline as late as possible, but nothing is presenting over the next few days. The challenge is no longer to cross the Equator in under five days (the team still holds the best time: 4 days 19 hours and 57 minutes) but to reach the longitude of the Cape of Good Hope in approx. 12 days!”

Francis Joyon and his team had very favourable conditions for their Southern Ocean leg, so today’s record challengers need some margin before venturing into the Indian Ocean. “It’s a difficult decision, but you have to stop sometime. Of course, it is disappointing, and we have to consider what comes next. Dona (Bertarelli) and I gathered the sailors and technical team together on Tuesday at lunchtime – it was a special moment,” added Yann.

“We have been preparing for this Jules Verne Trophy for 10 years now, and at the end of each attempt or stand-by period, you have to know how to turn the page. The emotion remains and it is always tough! What we have built with a whole team around us cannot be allowed to dissipate,” said Dona Bertarelli.

It is important to understand the context behind these decisions, with autumn approaching in the Southern Ocean, the low-pressure systems become faster and more violent, the nights become longer, and the rougher seas prohibit sailing at the kind of speeds required to break the record. Plus, this year there were icebergs drifting at higher latitudes, as far up as the Pacific, which would have meant increasing the distance sailed, without reducing the time to beat.

“The record remains, and even if it is broken, there will always be someone that will improve on it one day! That is the beauty of records,” added the skipper of Sails of Change.

Going forward, the team is preparing for a new season of TF35 racing which kicks off in mid-May on Lake Geneva.

Sorry, this entry is only available in French.

The Sails of Change crew had been watching for the weather window that opened today (Saturday 14 Jan) in the North Atlantic since the middle of last week. Yann Guichard was keen to seize what would have been the first opportunity for a start since the maxi trimaran went on standby last October, even though it was packed with uncertainty. 

Yann Guichard, how would you describe the weather window that up until today looked promising?
“It was excellent as far as the Equator – the router had us there in just over five days. But after that there was no favourable low-pressure system to link up with the trade winds and reach the Cape of Good Hope inside 13 days, which is not a good time. This was the first opportunity for a start since we went on standby, but it was far from perfect. We studied the files again late last night alongside the overall forecast* that came in at around 23:00 before our router Jean-Yves Bernot, our navigator, Benjamin Schwartz, and I made a decision.”

In your heart of hearts, did you think you should start?
“I really wanted to leave today, just behind the front which passed through at around 14:00, so in the middle of the afternoon. But it’s a very difficult decision to make. Postpone for better weather in the southern hemisphere and the Bay of Biscay becomes impassable due to the sea state until next Wednesday. And on Wednesday, the window in the North Atlantic shortens and may very well close again. We are already mid-January with a month of standby left. It is a double-edged sword, interesting and challenging!”

Yann Guichard and the 10 Sails of Change crew members remain fully focused on the evolution of the weather window.

‘Code red’ has been trending for Yann Guichard and Dona Bertarelli’s team onboard the maxi-trimaran Sails of Change since they went on stand-by on 24 October last year. Jean-Yves Bernot, the shore-based router, throws some light on what has been an unprecedented weather situation. 

The team – on its fourth Jules Verne Trophy record attempt – moored the trimaran in Brest on 10 November to be able to respond quickly to a weather window and subsequent code change, and there it has remained, tugging on its lines. ‘Rouge sur rouge, rien ne bouge’ goes the adage, loosely translated as ‘Red over red, no movement ahead’. The stand-by code has not changed colour since last autumn.

“Last year, we didn’t start although certain scenarios could have been tempting, even though the subsequent transitions were not promising. This year, there has not been one day that left room for doubt,” said Jean-Yves.

Overall, there are two scenarios that are favourable for a Jules Verne Trophy record attempt : setting off on the tail-end of an Atlantic low pressure, using the north-westerly shift to head south in strong downwind conditions. Or setting off on the back of a winter high pressure system stuck over Europe, synonymous with favourable easterly wind conditions. “This year, the low pressures haven’t shown any clear shifts with the wind remaining in the South-West,” explained Jean-Yves. “And when the cold snap hit France at the beginning of December, the anticyclone was positioned in such a way that it blocked the route to the Moroccan coast. Most importantly, these weather patterns have been long-lasting. In meteorology, we call them blocking patterns.”

To have a hope of breaking the record set by IDEC Sport (40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes), the team knows that it must be very punchy at the start of the Atlantic phase, and then nail all the transitions until they get down to the first of the southern lows. “IDEC Sport made great time in the Indian Ocean, had a decent Pacific experience, and an excellent finish,” continued Jean-Yves. “The section that can really be improved on timewise, is the Atlantic. If you are two days late to the Cape of Good Hope, you’re done, game over. We have run 2,000 simulations, and four of them went through to the finish!” 

In short, there is no point in setting out to tackle such a demanding record with the only certainty being a very unfavourable start. The question is how long does the Sails of Change team wait? While there is no cut-off date currently in place, ultimately the cycle of the seasons will dictate. Putting aside the fact that the nights will get longer in the high latitudes from February onwards, the Sails of Change router warns of the dangers of the Southern Ocean in the southern hemisphere’s autumn months. “It’s like comparing the situation at home between the end of September and the end of October, it’s not the same atmosphere at all. In the South, from mid-February onwards, the winds are so strong that you can’t sail a multihull at its optimal speed anyway.” 

A few weeks remain in this complex waiting game, the outcome of which ultimately lies with Mother Nature. Yann Guichard, owner and skipper of the maxi-trimaran Sails of Change explains : “The stand-by of the maxi Sails of Change is planned until the 15th of February, date beyond which it is more complex to leave because of the end of the summer and the systems of depression in the Great South. We have a window of a little more than a month ahead of us, we remain very optimistic because the situation can change.”

The Maxi-trimaran Sails of Change, on stand-by since October 24, 2022, for a new attempt on the round the world sailing race, the Jules Verne Trophy, arrived in Brest today. The delivery trip from La Trinité-sur-Mer went smoothly in a moderate southerly wind. Now based near Ushant, the boat and crew are waiting for a favourable weather window that will allow them to reach the Cape of Good Hope in around twelve days.

Yann Guichard and his crew have attempted this record three times: in 2015 (47 days, 10 hours, and 59 minutes) with Dona Bertarelli, who became the fastest woman around the world, in 2018, and in 2019 when they were forced to retire due to rudder damage just past the Kerguelen archipelago. The Jules Verne Trophy record was further reduced in  2017 when IDEC Sport completed the circumnavigation of the globe in 40 days 23 hours 30 minutes and 30 seconds. The round-the-world record has become increasingly difficult to improve on with each successive attempt (over thirty in less than thirty years!): Early attempts started in the North Atlantic in a storm. Nowadays, it is thought to be better to ride on the back of a high-pressure system. Back in 2010, the aim was to reach the equator in less than a week, whereas today, the objective is to reach the Cape of Good  Hope in around twelve days!

A LAP OF THE PLANET IN STAGES

The course is made up of stages, the shortest possible direct route is a minimum of 21,600 nautical miles, but no sailing boat can follow this because of the prevailing winds. First you must cross the Atlantic from North to South across the equator, the first milestone of the Around the World (Jules Verne Trophy). To reach the Cape of Good Hope in less than twelve days means setting off in a Northerly wind, linking up with the Portuguese trade winds, and crossing the dividing line between the two hemispheres in less than five and a half day. Following that you need to round the St. Helena High and transition from a South Easterly to a North Easterly before reaching the Roaring Forties in the Southern Ocean. Then you head into the Indian Ocean. An optimal Atlantic passage is key to breaking the record. Sails of Change (ex-Spindrift 2) already holds the best time between Ushant and the equator achieved on the third attempt at the beginning of 2019 (4 days, 20 hours, and 07 minutes). But it is the sequence of events in the South Atlantic that will determine whether the reference time at the Cape of Good Hope can be achieved to enter the Indian Ocean ahead of the record. It will then take around six days to reach southern Tasmania, and another eight days to reach Cape Horn.

Once there, it’s far from over! The team must then sail north up the Atlantic Ocean, preferably along the Argentinean coast (which can take at least a week), and across the equator for a final sprint to Ushant (around six days). If you add up the various best times achieved per stage, it totals 38 days, 16 hours, 36 minutes. Therefore, the decision of when to start is pivotal.

A SPECIAL KIND OF LOGIC

“IDEC had some pretty brilliant conditions in the Indian Ocean and on the way up the Atlantic. So, we must have a lead when we reach the Cape of Good Hope because it will be hard to make up time elsewhere. There is a way to gain time on the southbound Atlantic stage and during the Pacific crossing, but that’s it. So, we must improve on the times that have been set by going down to South Africa and the Pacific faster. For the rest, to achieve the same times as the record holder would be quite good. For the moment and for the next few days until mid-November, there is no weather window for a start, because the trade winds are weak or non-existent and the Southerly wind is set over Western Europe”; said Jean-Yves Bernot, shore-based router for Sails of Change.

“There are no openings for now in the North Atlantic because the trade winds are not really settled : we have to be patient. Remember that IDEC left quite late! And it’s preferable to be on stand-by in Brest because we gain about half a day of weather forecasting”; added Benjamin Schwartz, navigator on Sails of Change.

This round-the-world record, which has decreased from 79 days, 06 hours, 15 mins, and 56 secs (Commodore Explorer in 1993) to just 40 days, 23 hours, 30 mins, and 30 secs in a quarter of a century, has for the most part required two or more attempts to break.

Yann Guichard, Dona Bertarelli and nine other sailors will make up the crew of ‘Sails of Change’ for their next attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy, an award for the fastest non-stop and unassisted circumnavigation of the world. Several years of hard work will culminate in this ultimate sporting challenge. The crew also aims to raise awareness of the need to preserve ocean and land ecosystems. From October 24th, the team will be on standby, ready to set sail on a new adventure.

From Monday, October 24th, the crew of Sails of Change will be on standby, studying the weather conditions and gearing themselves for an immense challenge. The objective is to win the Jules Verne Trophy by beating the round-the-world record held  since 2017: 40 days, 23 hours, and 30 minutes. “It’s the ultimate sporting goal, an extraordinary time to beat, that has been halved in the space of 30 years“, said skipper Yann Guichard.

A TEAM ON THE RISE

A 360° COMMITMENT, A “NEW IMPETUS”

The Spindrift team’s commitment to protecting the environment does not stop with the boat. The crew, as well as the boat, promote the ’30×30′ message, relaying the call from scientists to protect at least 30% of ocean and land by 2030, in order to prevent biodiversity loss and to build resilience to climate change. “The degradation of our oceans, land and freshwater systems is destroying the planet’s ability to support life,” said Dona Bertarelli. “The fight to protect nature, which we’ve been engaged in for a long time, gives extra impetus to the team and to our round-the-world challenge.”

Dona and Yann are Patrons of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the largest and most diverse environmental network in the world, and a global authority on the state of the natural world and the measures needed to save it.

A new partnership between IUCN and Sails of Change called “Sports for Nature” was launched at the Sport Positive Summit at Wembley on 5 October, to help sports organisations mitigate the negative impacts on the climate, and to take concrete steps to protect biodiversity. “As a sportsperson, the link between sports and nature is very clear. Athletes need clean water and fresh air to perform. As such, they have a natural interest in protecting the environment,” said Yann Guichard.

SPINDRIFT FOR SCHOOLS: INSPIRING AND EDUCATING THE YOUNGER GENERATION

The ‘Spindrift for Schools’ fund was created in 2014 to raise awareness of environmental issues among young people.  Through this fund, educational resources, approved by the French Ministry of Education and supported by UNESCO, are made available to teachers. Additional subjects will be offered to schools as part of the curriculum throughout the world tour in order to bring onboard the youngest in this global ocean adventure.

For students as well as for sportsmen and women or even the curious, this will help them to grasp the intensity of this round the world trip from a perspective that shares the ‘Sails of Change’ values. Dona Bertarelli insists on “learning from nature in order to act”, “uniting to inspire change” and “keeping a sense of wonder because it is easier to protect what you know, what you understand and what you love“.

For Yann Guichard, he makes the link with life onboard and evokes “the need to surpass oneself, to show resilience and support each other at all times“. There are so many arguments and motivations before setting off on one of the most exciting challenges in ocean racing.

On November 1st, 2021, Dona Bertarelli, Yann Guichard and their team began the standby for a fourth attempt at the Jules Verne Trophy around-the-world sailing record. Since this date, there has not been a suitable weather window for the crew of the maxi-trimaran Sails of Change to set sail with a realistic chance of beating the record. Today, Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard announce the end of standby for Spindrift and their plans to renew the attempt later this year.

A complex weather scenario

To beat the around-the-world record under sail, it is key to maximise the team’s chances during the first section of the route. The primary challenge for the maxi-trimaran Sails of Change is to make a very fast passage from the island of Ushant to the equator (within the record time of 4 days 19 hours and 57 minutes set by Spindrift herself in 2019). The crew would then need to make the southern tip of Africa in under 12 days, to be level with the previous record. With this in mind, since November 1st, 2021, Yann Guichard (skipper), Benjamin Schwartz (navigator) and Jean-Yves Bernot (onshore router) have been analysing the weather in a bid to pinpoint the perfect configuration for linking these two sequences together. However, over the winter, the weather scenario has not once been favourable for starting the attempt.

Jean-Yves Bernot explains: “For some weeks, the low-pressure systems rolling towards Europe have been positioned a long way south, around the Canaries, Madeira and to the south of the Azores. Such a weather configuration prevents the trade wind from being strong and becoming established longer term. Usually, such episodes are fleeting, only lasting a few days at best. However, this year, the cycle has been on constant repeat. This has resulted in large areas of light breeze from the south of Gibraltar as far as Cape Verde. Of course, this is not at all conducive for setting sail on a round the world record. At the same time, in the South Atlantic, the Saint Helena High was extensive at the start of standby, making it difficult to negotiate due to the numerous windless areas. For Sails of Change, there was a very real risk of getting stuck there”.

In light of this situation, at the beginning of January, the team decided to extend the period of standby by two weeks until January 31st. During this time, the weather situation has remained unchanged and the forecasts for early February are not optimistic.

Jean-Yves Bernot also points out that a late entry into the Deep South is not recommended: “The austral summer is gradually drawing to a close. Sailing conditions in this area are becoming increasingly complicated with the cold, the gales and very heavy seas. With too much bad weather comes the increased risk of suffering damage, and it is more difficult to maintain the high average speeds needed to break the record”.

Within this context, Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard have decided to call off their team’s standby for the Jules Verne Trophy record.

A fresh attempt in the winter of 2022/2023

Yann Guichard, skipper of the Spindrift racing stable, considers today’s situation: “For the past two years, the team has done a remarkable job optimising our maxi-trimaran Sails of Change. The boat has never been so well prepared to break this record and that’s something we can be proud of. Of course, it’s disappointing not to be setting sail. We switched to code green twice, but unfortunately the weather windows promptly closed up again. The routing subsequently confirmed that we’d made the right decision not to leave, so we have no regrets. I greatly appreciate that the entire team has been mobilised and at the ready for the last three months, especially the sailors, who remained their high levels of motivation. We’re lucky to have a fantastic team and a boat which is designed for the Jules Verne Trophy. This is why Dona and I are delighted to announce that Spindrift racing stable will be back on standby for another attempt at the around-the-world record at the end of this year”.

Dona Bertarelli adds: “We are about to unveil the sports programme for our team for the year ahead. Through our various projects, we’re keen to continue being the standard-bearer for the “30×30” campaign, which aims to protect 30% of our planet by 2030. Our aim is to raise awareness among the general public and institutions to promote the additional commitments which governments around the world need to make. At the same time, we’re extending our efforts with students through our “Spindrift for Schools” programme, which aims to raise awareness among young people”.

2021/2022 crew:
Yann Guichard – Skipper
Dona Bertarelli – On-board reporter
Benjamin Schwartz – Navigator
Jacques Guichard – Watch leader
Xavier Revil – Watch leader
Duncan Späth – Helm / trimmer
Grégory Gendron – Helm / trimmer
Julien Villion – Helm / trimmer
Thiery Chabagny – Helm / trimmer
Jackson Bouttell – Bowman
Yann Jauvin – Bowman

Jean-Yves Bernot – Onshore router

Still awaiting a favourable weather window, the Sails of Change team has decided to extend its standby period until the end of January: a very welcome extra fortnight due to the currently unfavourable situation in the Atlantic.

Throughout the autumn, there hasn’t been a single opportunity to try to beat the round the world record under sail set in 2017 in a time of 40 days 23 hours and 30 minutes. However, there may still be one this winter! Moreover, having studied previous Jules Verne Trophy record attempts, skipper Yann Guichard has noted that the original cut-off date for setting sail by 15 January could easily be shifted… Indeed, among those who have managed to improve on the original time established by Bruno Peyron (79 days 06 hours and 16 minutes), who set off in early February 1993, Peter Blake and Robin Knox-Johnston set the clock ticking on 16 January in 1994 (74 days 22 hours and 17 minutes), Olivier de Kersauson on 6 March in 1997 (71 days 14 hours and 22 minutes), Bruno Peyron again on 14 February in 2002 (64 days 08 hours and 37 minutes) then 25 January in 2005 (50 days 16 hours and 20 minutes) and Franck Cammas on 31 January in 2010 (48 days 07 hours and 45 minutes)…

Of the eight improvements on the Jules Verne Trophy record in the past 27 years, five set off after New Year, or even in the run-up to Easter! This means there’s still a few additional days’ leeway, since the North Atlantic weather situation has not been positive so far. Sails of Change did come close to setting sail twice before the winter solstice, but in the end the situation would not have enabled them to reach the Cape of Good Hope in a fast enough time. Indeed, today’s record attempts must set their sights on the tip of South Africa as it’s no longer enough to cross the equator in a sub-five-day time (which the giant trimaran has already managed several times before). What’s key now is to post a time at the gateway to the Indian Ocean that is close to, if not improves on, that of the record holder!

“Originally, we planned to be on standby until January 15th, but the weather situation really hasn’t been favourable over recent weeks… As a result, we’ve decided to continue the standby until the end of January. There’s nothing unusual about that, as several attempts and indeed Jules Verne Trophy records have set sail after New Year or even after January! We knew that there are years with opportunities and years without. It’s hard to say whether climate change has an influence, but one thing for sure is that there are no established trade winds right now because the Azores High is not in its usual position. There is a string of low-pressure systems and sometimes these are even rolling around the latitude of the Canaries…” explains Yann Guichard.

Patience and time…

“Patience and the fullness of time do more than force and fury”, says the proverb penned by La Fontaine in ‘The Lion and the Rat’ fable. However, the Azores High has not been very cooperative of late, with a prolonged stretch of calm conditions offshore of the Cape Verde archipelago and the odd depression at the latitude of the Canaries! In these conditions, the much sought-after trade wind for a rapid descent to the equator has been sadly lacking… And what about its counterpart in the South Atlantic, Saint Helena? Well, it too has vanished into thin air, deserting the island which proved fatal to Napoleon, and lounging between Argentina and Gough Island, even splitting up into several cells at times, which twirl around the Falklands and the Crozet archipelago.

“The reliability of weather forecasts is now very good for up to ten days in advance. If the configuration is not favourable in the South Atlantic, there is little point in setting off and taking two weeks to reach South Africa! It’s important not to lose sight of our objective: to at least be inside the time set during the previous record, especially so at the Cape of Good Hope. Equally, offshore of Brazil, we also need to envisage hitching a ride across the Southern Ocean on the back of depression, until we’re at least halfway across the Indian Ocean…” concludes the skipper of Sails of Change.

In short, haste is not something that will colour the fourth attempt at the round the world record by Yann Guichard,  Dona Bertarelli, and their crew. Even though the current weather pattern is unsurprising, with the additional challenges posed by the pandemic situation, it’s important to maintain a sense of proportion. The reference time for the Jules Verne Trophy is particularly low now. To stand a chance of improving on it, the crew will need to pass the longitude of the Cape of Good Hope in around a dozen days. Indeed, the current record for this section, set in 2017, equates to 12 days 21 hours and 41 minutes. It’s during this first section of the Jules Verne Trophy that the record could be won. It is one thing to claw back a few hours in the Southern Ocean, or even in the climb back up the Atlantic, but actually pulling it off is quite another…

2021 crew on Sails of change

Yann Guichard – Skipper
Dona Bertarelli – Onboard reporter
Benjamin Schwartz – Navigator
Jacques Guichard – Watch leader
Xavier Revil – Watch leader
Duncan Späth – Sailor
Grégory Gendron – Sailor
Julien Villion – Sailor
Thierry Chabagny – Sailor
Jackson Bouttell – Bowman
Yann Jauvin – Bowman

Replacements: François Morvan & Yann Éliès

Jean-Yves Bernot – Onshore router

The team on the maxi-trimaran Sails of Change have switched back to code red meaning that there is no plan to depart within the next 72 hours.

Today, at 12:00 UTC, with all the crew aboard the boat and ready to set sail, Jean-Yves Bernot, the team’s onshore router, contacted Yann Guichard, the skipper of the vessel, and Benjamin Schwartz, the on-board navigator.

The day before, the forecasts seemed favourable according to the American weather model. This lunchtime, both the European and American weather models were in agreement that the situation in the South Atlantic was not very conducive to a rapid descent.

As such, together they made the decision to remain on code green and await this evening’s grib files before making a decision about a possible departure.

This evening, Yann Guichard, Benjamin Schwartz and Jean-Yves Bernot have received confirmation of a deterioration in conditions in the south.

With the weather window not enabling them to make the Cape of Good Hope in a quick enough time, they have chosen to put back the departure once more.

The maxi-trimaran Sails of Change will set sail early afternoon this Tuesday (at around 13:00 UTC) from her port of registry of La Trinité-sur-Mer, Brittany, and head straight for the Jules Verne Trophy start line. Dona Bertarelli, Yann Guichard and their crew have decided to set a direct course for a point offshore of Le Créac’h lighthouse (island of Ushant) to hook onto a front set to sweep across Brittany over the coming days. 

After several weeks’ wait, the maxi-trimaran Sails of Change should theoretically set sail tonight offshore of Le Créac’h lighthouse (island of Ushant) in a bid to improve on the round the world record under sail. This Jules Verne Trophy, held by Francis Joyon and his team since 2017 (40 days 23 hours and 30 minutes), is particularly difficult to beat as the Cape of Good Hope must be reached within a minimum of around a dozen days.

A favourable configuration 

However, in addition to the Azores High being located in a favourable position to target the equator in around five days (the WSSRC record is still held by Spindrift 2 in a time of 4 days 20 hours 07 minutes), it is essential that the situation also permits a very direct trajectory towards the tip of South Africa in the southern hemisphere. Indeed, once the line separating the two hemispheres is crossed, a low pressure system needs to form offshore of Brazil with a SE’ly trajectory to push back the Saint Helena High towards the island of the same name.

By hooking onto the back of this disturbed system, Sails of Change would then be in a position to drop down at a very quick average speed of 30 knots towards the Roaring Forties, whilst avoiding the drifting ice which, having come loose from the Antarctic ice field, can come up as far as Gough Island or even towards the Kerguelen archipelago.

After a lengthy analysis of the weather situation offshore of the Breton headland, Yann Guichard, skipper of Sails of Change, Benjamin Schwartz, on-board navigator, and Jean-Yves Bernot, onshore router, have finally agreed to dock out of La Trinité at 13:00 UTC today. The maxi-trimaran should take around ten hours or so to position itself on the start line of the Jules Verne Trophy. In line with the tide (High Water at Ushant at 12:35, coefficient 60) and above all the arrival of an active front on Tuesday evening, the attempt should kick-off between midnight and 05:00 UTC. Indeed, on the back of the heavy rain expected, a powerful NW’ly wind is forecast which would carry them down towards the Cape Verde archipelago in a little over three days…

Over a direct theoretical course of 21,600 miles, the Jules Verne Trophy is one of the toughest records to improve on. Throughout the crossing, in addition to the sporting challenge, the crew will be eager to champion the ‘30×30’ campaign, which is a global call to action from scientists which aims to protect at least 30% of the ocean and the earth by 2030.