© Maxime Horlaville / Polaryse / Spindrift racing
Yann Guichard and his crew will be back on standby early next week, awaiting a favourable weather window to set sail on their third Jules Verne Trophy record attempt.
Since October 29th, the team had been focused exclusively on repairing Spindrift 2’s rudder ever since a problem was detected while training offshore. “We have experienced another race against the clock, here at Spindrift racing. For the past 3 weeks, we have been focused exclusively on finding solutions to fix the multihull’s rudder. I would like to thank the entire technical team for their hard work. We’re now ready to set sail, and our eyes are turned on the weather forecasts. Our standby is extended until mid December ”explained Yann Guichard.
The objective? Beat the existing round the world non-stop sailing record of 40-days, 23-hours, 30-minutes set by Francis Joyon in 2017. If the weather conditions along the route are favourable, it is an achievable goal. “We would like to be a day ahead of the record by the time we reach the Indian Ocean. Francis Joyon crossed this stretch of ocean in a record time and it will be difficult to beat,” says 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
