Thomas Coville on Sodebo departs on solo multihull round the world attempt

Thomas Coville has once again taken up the challenge of attempting to better Francis Joyon's solo round the world multihull record.

The tracker is here:

http://sodebo-tdm.addviso.org/fr/

 

Ahh, this is a form of sport which delights the hearts of all true Frenchmen:

To depart from La France,
and then sail around the globe with utmost disdain for any contact with land;
Until once again, finalement, returning in glory to France!

lol

The only Frenchman ever to question this format (then only because he was in a state of delirium after sailing 3/4ths of the race), was of course Bernhard Moitessier, way back in 1969!

And fortunately he decided to detour to Tahiti - he cleverly opted to remain true to the call of French territory - thus becoming a legend since his route was made considerably longer in the process.

 

This video always makes me smile to think the two yachts could be in close proximity at Cape Horn. This was Neutrogena who was racing in the BWR (Imoca I think?) and Sodebo on the previous solo round the world attempt

http://youtu.be/ItEOcxvy5xw

 

People in the vicinity of Cape Horn are constantly having this sort of encounter with Don Quoville.

There were a couple of 60's in his path there, last time around, if I recall.

 

Thomas is headed back to Brest a fitting that holds the gennaker failed by the sound of it and destroyed the pulpit. Repairs and back on standby.

rough bing translate of the entry

Sodebo turns.

The skipper of Sodebo has just taken the decision to turn back in its attempt to round the world singlehanded record and go back to Brest.

Around 15:30, while the maxi-trimaran sailing downwind in 23 knots of wind, the grip of the small gennaker rope broke. Crashing, the end resulted in the loss of the front balcony that ensures the security of the skipper when he must move to the bow of the central hull...

 

Well, at least he'll get to start again soon. I wish him good luck!

 

Yes, probably a good call it's a long way to go carrying damage I just hope they get another decent weather window this season. The current Nigel Iren's designed Sodebo maxi trimaran is to go up for sale after one last attempt at the round the world record. It will be interesting to see whether Thomas would entertain doing a round the world on the revamped Geronimo.

 

It looks like Thomas Coville will be leaving soon on the same weather window as chosen by Lionel Lemonchois:

The rough bing translate:

16/01/2014

Sodebo prepares to sail

It already well blows in Brest! The maxi-trimaran Sodebo team prepares to leave the Port du Château tonight from 8 pm. In muscular conditions (currently 30 knots of wind in the marina), Thomas Coville will head to the start line of the lap record of the world located in the Phare de Créac ' h on the island of Ouessant should cross in middle of night.

The starting conditions are difficult with southwest of 25 to 30 knots wind accompanied by squalls and heavy swells to Ushant. It is for the skipper soar before a (area of low wind) thalweg announced on Brest tomorrow morning.

"These are not frankly rêvées conditions. Starting from night to the close in sea is quickly complicated solo on a 30-metre boat. But it must soar with the wind to avoid ending up stuck tomorrow morning at Brest where it was announced less than 7 knots of wind. The situation is different for Lionel (Lemonchois, skipper of the Prince de Bretagne Maxi80 who must tackle tomorrow to record Port-Louis, France - Port Louis, Mauritius). Starting from Lorient (80 miles - 150 km to the South), it should escape through this mou and will still 15 to 20 knots of wind tomorrow at noon. The window is tempting. I would have 12 to 14 hours closely in wind strong before crossing the front and recover the West-North-West bearing wind. Then, it will be a sporting descent in the wind and the sea. In Portugal, it passes under the anticyclone of the Azores which is still installed with established trade winds which can allow us to place up to Cape Verde. »

 

The tracker is now active:

http://sodebo-tdm.addviso.org/fr/

 

The latest press release from the Sodebo team:

http://www.sodebo.fr/voile/actualites/article/ensemble-dans-golfe-gascogne

and the rough bing translate:

Set in the Bay of Biscay

Nature would have it. Alone at the helm of their trimaran, Thomas Coville and Lionel Lemonchois begin their first night of record a few miles from another in the Bay of Biscay. Both have left the earth today to address a marine held by Francis Joyon, time reference of the great oceanic chronos.

Aboard the maxi-trimaran Sodebo, Thomas raced from the island of Ushant on the course around the world (57(j) 13 h 34 min) at 7:42 this morning while Lionel cut the line at the tip of Gâvres (Lorient) at 14 h 52 to tackle the record of the Mauritian rallying Port Louis in France in Port Louis in Mauritius (26 d 4 h 13 m).

Family records vessels thus counts a newcomer! Indeed, Lionel Lemonchois leads the Maxi80 Prince of Brittany, a trimaran from of a transformation of the former trimaran 60 foot Orma Sodebo with Thomas including broke his first records alone between 2005 and 2007.

The two boats began their journey today in atypical since conditions facing the 15-20 knots wind currently sweeping the Bay of Biscay. The trimarans will be a front that night before catching finally of bearing northwest wind. The next few days to announce then rather favourable to a beautiful part of skiing.

The roads of two hunters of record bifurqueront in the South Atlantic, at the door of the roaring when Thomas will begin his tour of Antarctica while Lionel crosses the Cape of good hope before you wrap the southern tip of Africa to move up in the Indian Ocean in the direction of Maurice.

In the meantime, the road is long and fraught with pitfalls as love often reminded us seafarers. This afternoon, Nice tip of the hat of the Navy, a Falcon 50 M of Lann Bihoué fleet flew over and filmed the trimaran Sodebo: see here the video images (copyright Navy)

And really, what a day! Nearly 63,000 skippers virtual dropped the mooring lines with Thomas Coville and Sodebo. We wish them all a great adventure to share and attention, this night, we'll have to make the right choices!

It awaits you on Twitter @Sodebo_Voile with the hashtag #SodeboTDM and operation unprecedented #MomentDeLiberté

 

Here is their latest press release. Too bad for Thomas hopefully he might take another swing at it with the reinvigorated Geronimo.

http://www.sodebo.fr/voile/actualites/article/bord-sodebo-thomas-coville-fait-demi-tour

The rough bing translate:

2013 14-Round the world

30/01/2014

Aboard Sodebo, Thomas Coville turns

The upcoming weather situation, the backlog and routings that do fall below the Kerguelen in the ice some 300 miles from the Antarctic lead competitor Thomas Coville, in agreement with its partner Sodebo, to renounce his record attempt around the world single-handed in a multihull. The maxi-trimaran returned to her home port of La Trinité-sur-Mer.

Started from Ushant January 17 at 7:42 (HF), the skipper had crossed the equator in 6 days 20 hours, a time in its objectives. "Window last chance, it descended to the equator in a manner far from ridiculous. I knew the key was going to be Helena," explained this evening the skipper.

Since he sailed in the southern hemisphere, the weather was not conducive to speed. Struggling since Monday with a particularly far-reaching St. Helena high between South America and Africa, Thomas lagging since this morning over 1000 miles on the holder Francis Joyon.

This afternoon, while sailing to the close in 15 knots of wind at 2,000 miles from the Cape of good hope, a new brake kick announced within the next 36 hours with the circumvention of a zone of calm involving considerably lengthen the road. The reading of the last routing, Sodebo delayed to its entry into the Indian Ocean would be 600 miles, or about three days at sea.

The shore crew which analyzes weather for Thomas from files of weather France and CLS, observes a new zone of light winds and the presence of ice in the Indian. The proposed theoretical route would go down Thomas by 60 degrees South, or 300 miles north of Antarctica.

The risks, both in terms of sporting performance and in terms of security, run counter to what look for the skipper and his partner.

Thomas, reached by telephone this evening by his team on land:

 

Thats too bad....

 

Seems that Thomas is enjoying some champagne sailing on his return to La Trinite-sur-Mer.

http://www.sodebo.fr/voile/actualites/article/meteo-clemente-route-retour

and the rough bing translate.

03/02/2014

Mild weather on the way back

Four days after deciding to put an end to his world tour, Thomas Coville continues its ascent of the South Atlantic in the direction of Brittany. Buoyed by sustained winds, the maxi-trimaran file at over 25 knots and crosses currently at 180 miles (340 km) off the coast of Recife in the Brazil. Very touched by the many messages of support and encouragement that brought him, by the hundreds, friends and anonymous, Thomas has only one single desire: Rally her home port of La Trinité-sur-Mer where a dense season awaits, and in particular the Route du Rhum in November.

Quickly and surely!

24/28 Knots average this morning, the skipper of Sodebo has found quick conditions in the southern hemisphere. If there is more pressure from the chrono, the conduct of its giant requires not less attention. Award-winning security, Thomas knows that too well, a burst or a grain, stronger than others at the wrong time, can all tip. Manoeuvres and sail changes are therefore run more slowly to minimize the risk.

In full recovery '

Even if Thomas has no intention of hanging out on the road, he confessed this weekend have already recovered. Indeed, when wind conditions are stable and the sea smoothed as currently, the sailor applies to fine-tune its boat, always very balanced under autopilot. It can then join her in-tray and finally recharge its batteries. Rare treat in his lonely life where everything is very timed, Thomas can even afford a few moments of relaxation and listen to a little music.

Wednesday morning at the Equator

On Monday, Thomas still enjoys trade winds Southeast well fed. The first effects of the Pot - to-black will be felt tomorrow Tuesday at the end of day. The intertropical convergence zone, always positioned very to the South, turns little active, as outward. Solitaire would then cross the Equator on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday by the 30 ° West, there still substantially at the same longitude as during his first visit last January 24.

« Then, the situation on the North Atlantic is quite clear at the moment, » explains his Thierry Briend router. " Thomas is going to navigate classic Northeast winds to the Canary Islands. '' The anticyclone of the Azores is placed relatively low 30 ° N, and Thomas will have to negotiate a passage in front before attaching a good flow of West-North-West, which should directly back to the House! »

Thomas Coville and the maxi-trimaran Sodebo are expected for the moment around February 13 to La Trinité-sur-Mer.

 

Corley-Thanks for posting both the Tracker and the info regarding his retirement.I had a feeling the retirement was due to the lack of weather,ironically there's loads of it at the moment where I live,big surf conditions and plenty of wind.
Cheers

 

I laughed a lot...Jealousy?
Ya it's for Frenchies, they have the means, the NA's and NE's, the shipyards, the providers (carbone, resins, and tutti quanti) and worst of all they have the (big) balls for doing it.
The record of Joyon will be very hard to beat. First He had a very good tri, perfectly built (not the case of quasi-sistership Sodebo) and a very good meteo, but also Joyon himself.
He has a stamina out of normal; after spending 10 days sleeping about 2 hours a day by bits of 15 minutes while crossing the South Pacific in hard conditions, he declared "Yes, I'm a bit tired I'm going to sleep". He slept 2 hours, and after he skipped IDEC at 100% as usual...