Sodebo and Gitana 17 set off on Jules Verne Record attempt

The two maxi tris both departed from the English Channel a couple hours apart yesterday .

Yachting world article - Jules Verne Trophy: Head-to-head foiling battle begins for round the world record https://www.yachtingworld.com/news/jules-verne-trophy-foiling-round-the-world-sailing-record-128667

Tracker - Jules Verne Trophy. Tracking map in real time - https://nautica.news/jules-verne-trophy-tracking-map-in-real-time/

 

To follow them , each team propose a tracker with the other boat :
Gitana : écurie de course au large fondée par le Baron Benjamin de Rothschild http://www.gitana-team.com/fr/tracker.aspx
La cartographie du Trophée Jules Verne - Sodebo - Trophée Jules Verne https://tropheejulesverne.sodebo.com/cartographie/

 

Gitana 17 hitted an UFO (damage on port rudder) and interrupted its attempt :
Gitana : écurie de course au large fondée par le Baron Benjamin de Rothschild (gitana-team.com)
Sodebo tracking :
La cartographie du Trophée Jules Verne - Sodebo - Trophée Jules Verne

 

A very unfortunate event as they were going very well.I don't suppose they will have built a spare rudder and it may take 2-3 weeks to return the boat to racing order.I have no doubt that Multiplast will do everything possible to get the boat back on the course.The foil damage they also sustained might be even more significant as they are larger and more complex items.Which doesn't totally eliminate them from an attempt in the next few weeks,but it does remove the excitement of watching Gitana and Sodebo duelling.I hope Idec and Sodebo can continue to amaze us with their incredible daily distances.

 

As predictable unfortunatlely, "UFO hitting rudder" event adds its unfair contribution, 3 major victims in 3 weeks : Charal, Hugo Boss, Gitana 17. I am afraid this list is not closed.

 

Sodebo 3 in the doldrums, they are now slightly behind IDEC by 92 NM :
[ONBOARD 5eme JOUR // Dans le pot-au-noir ] - YouTube
Tracking : La cartographie du Trophée Jules Verne - Sodebo - Trophée Jules Verne

 

Sodebo 3 crossing the equator line with a small advance on IDEC :
[PASSAGE DE L'EQUATEUR] Sodebo Ultim 3 dans l'hémisphère sud - YouTube

 

Sodebo 3 offshore Brazil, with nearly 200 NM ahead of IDEC :
[ONBOARD 2 décembre // Une journée au large du Brésil ] - YouTube
Tracking :
Sodebo Ultim 3: à l'assaut du Trophée Jules Verne - Sodebo - Trophée Jules Verne

 

Sodebo 3 currently at 38 Knots towards the Forties, taking advantage of a Low, but with a zone of light winds ahead where are the second group of the Vendée Globe, if they are faster than the Low itself. Presently with a comfortable advance of 492 NM on IDEC :
La cartographie du Trophée Jules Verne - Sodebo - Trophée Jules Verne

 

870 NM in the last 24 h for Sodebo 3, so 36,2 Knots in average , second best performance of all time after the 908 of Banque Populaire 5. And they hope to maintain the boat ahead of the Low as long as possible which means strong wind and flat sea :
Trophée Jules Verne. Sodebo accroît son avance, le record des 24 heures vacille ! https://voilesetvoiliers.ouest-france.fr/course-au-large/trophee-jules-verne/trophee-jules-verne-sodebo-accroit-son-avance-le-record-des-24-heures-vacille-fa026e1c-379f-11eb-8afa-5929c10546d0
Tracking : La cartographie du Trophée Jules Verne - Sodebo - Trophée Jules Verne https://tropheejulesverne.sodebo.com/cartographie/

 

Go fast in 30 knots of wind ! [ONBOARD 7 décembre ] A l'entrée de l'Océan Indien - YouTube
Tracking : Sodebo Ultim 3: à l'assaut du Trophée Jules Verne - Sodebo - Trophée Jules Verne

 

Interesting that in almost every race she entered with the revolutionary foil system Maserati hit something knocking out her port rudder! There has got to be an electronic solution to this?

 

Impressive videos of speed in the Indian Ocean , Kerguelen zone :
[ONBOARD 9 décembre ] Conditions musclées dans l'Océan Indien - YouTube
[ONBOARD 10 décembre ] Lever de soleil sous les Kergelen - YouTube
Tracking : La cartographie du Trophée Jules Verne - Sodebo - Trophée Jules Verne

 

Sadly they have hit something and damaged a rudder, heading to Reunion Island for repairs, that part of the ocean seems to have taken its revenge on any appendages that remotely hang below the boat.

 

Stopped in their tentative like Gitana 17 earlier. How to deal with UFO, even small ones, when sailing at 35-40 knots with a lot of appendages (2 foils, a daggerboard, 2 rudders), really no solution other than a dose of chance ?