Author: Grégoire Chéron

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 situation in the South Atlantic was not offering the right conditions for Sails of Change to reach the Cape of Good Hope in around a dozen days. Jean-Yves Bernot, onshore router for Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard’s team, discusses these meteorological uncertainties …

 

Why have there been a succession of postponed starts for the Jules Verne Trophy record campaign?

Sails of Change had favourable conditions to make rapid headway as far as Cape Frio (offshore of Rio de Janeiro). In theory, the timing was right, very favourable in fact, for the maxi-trimaran to cross the equator, but after that, there was so much instability around the Saint Helena High, that the passage time off the Cape of Good Hope was not good …

 

But there were two scheduled starts in November!

In both instances, there were no low-pressure systems forming off Brazil to propel the boat very quickly towards South Africa. These are minor issues, but there was just a six-hour window for Sails of Change to hook onto a favourable system… Six hours of uncertainty in an eight-day forecast may sound small, but it matters a lot! These two ‘code greens’ are also linked to the volatility of these long-term weather forecasts.

 

 

A decision has to be made…

There’s a ‘code green’ when there’s an opportunity to set sail and the whole Spindrift team has to be poised to go! It’s important to point out that weather data is updated every twelve hours and it is provided by both American and European models. If they aren’t showing the same situation over several days, you have to at least wait until they agree on a similar configuration. That’s all part of a record attempt like this: it’s vital not to miss an opportunity and to remain ready to go!

 

So what was the situation yesterday, 30 November 2021 ?

It’s still not entirely done and dusted. There are conditions for a rapid descent to Brazil, but it’s what comes next… There may be a small low-pressure system forming and, with luck on our side, we can hook onto it, but after that…? It’s worth noting that the weather models must be in agreement, and, in any case, the whole team has to be prepared to snap up an opportunity. The American forecasts were more optimistic than those of the Europeans, then the configuration deteriorated further for both models.

 

But weather simulations have evolved in leaps and bounds over recent years…

Absolutely! We no longer route the boats in the same way either. During the initial attempts from 1990-2000, the objective was the passage of the equator, as it wasn’t possible to predict the weather beyond five days. Now, the boats are even faster and reliable data runs for up to ten days and more! We now have to target the Cape of Good Hope in a maximum of twelve days: it’s a whole different ball game. We can clearly see what’s going to happen in the South Atlantic eight days in advance.

 

 

Is there a relationship between the position of the Azores High (northern hemisphere) and that of the Saint Helena High (southern hemisphere)?

I get what you’re saying: a favourable weather situation in the northern hemisphere and hence an unfavourable one in the southern hemisphere! No. There is no correlation between these two parts of the Earth, at least not in terms of the timeframe we’re working with. There may be if you were to average it out over a year, but I don’t have that information.

 

So regardless of whether the Azores High is high or low in latitude, it doesn’t have an influence on the situation in the South Atlantic?

I don’t believe it does: there is no correlation between the north and south; not in terms of the time frame we work with for routing the Jules Verne Trophy. No compensation would come into play over such a short time.

 

Sails of Change is back on standby in La Trinité-sur-Mer through until 15 January.

It may sound late, but when you look at the previous records, you notice that Groupama 3 set sail on 31 January! Equally IDEC Sport set off in the middle of the winter in the northern hemisphere… It’s only early December for us here, the team still has time.

 

 

But there’s a good conjunction with the full moon on 19 December and the summer solstice of the southern hemisphere on 21 December…

That’s true, but it’s not enough to cross the equator in under five days; you have to be able to connect onto something beyond that! The current Jules Verne Trophy record is so low (40 days 23 hours and 30 minutes) that you need to be at Good Hope with a lead of at least a day… Francis Joyon and his men crossed the Indian Ocean really very quickly: as a result, you need some room for manœuvre on exiting the Atlantic Ocean. On top of that, they took less than six days to sail from the equator back to Ushant! As such, you need to steal a march at the start of the record attempt…

 

Logically, there are around ten weather ‘windows’ each winter?

You can’t look at it like that: it’s totally dependent on the year and there are no statistics about that! There are winters with lots of opportunities and others where you have to stay on land. Furthermore, the opportunities are not the same from one year to the next, plus it depends what you want to do and where you want to go. Here for example, there was an opportunity to improve on the reference time between Ushant and the equator, but it didn’t extend to the round the world record… Sails of Change could probably beat its own WSSRC record to the equator (Spindrift 2 in 2019: 4 days 20 hours and 13 minutes) but Dona Bertarelli, Yann Guichard and their team are chasing the Jules Verne Trophy!

 

Is the situation looking favourable for the coming days?

There are no longer any openings for the next few days: we’re going to have to wait a bit… That doesn’t stop us routers from looking at what would have happened had Sails of Change set sail though: the weather window on 25 November would have gone very light after Cape Frio (offshore of Rio de Janeiro). The one on 30 November doesn’t look favourable either in the southern hemisphere, with very bad weather at the Cape of Good Hope, but we’ll look into the situation in more detail over the next few days. The idea of setting off and then coming back is only valid if the return journey is quick as there may be a favourable ‘window’ on returning to Ushant…

 

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.

 

Dona Bertarelli, Yann Guichard and all the team of the maxi-trimaran Sails of Change announced a switch to code yellow this morning within the scope of their Jules Verne Trophy record attempt.

 

Indeed, a potential weather window looks likely to open in the South Atlantic. If this window is confirmed, it would enable a good arrival time at the Cape of Good Hope.

 

In this case, the maxi-trimaran Sails of Change could cross the start line off the island of Ushant between Wednesday and Thursday.

 

Given the NW’ly winds and heavy seas forecast, the team is planning to deliver the boat to Brest on Tuesday morning and tie up to the dock outside the harbour town through until the start.

 

Confirmation of the delivery trip will be given this evening upon receipt and analysis of the latest weather files.

 

Upon further analysis of the weather files, the Spindrift team has decided to postpone its departure for a fourth attempt at the Jules Verne Trophy. Indeed, the weather conditions in the South Atlantic are shaping up to be less appealing than those analysed on Wednesday evening.

 

This Thursday morning, the whole crew was ready to leave the dock in La Trinité-Sur-Mer, Brittany, to head out to sea and set sail from the Créac’h lighthouse over the course of the day. The latest position of the Azores High remains favourable for a very quick ‘descent’ to the equator thanks to a powerful N to NE’ly breeze. The problem comes further down the racetrack as the low pressure systems rolling off Brazil are no longer shifting across towards the Kerguelen Islands, leaving room for a series of high pressure ‘bubbles’ across the course, which are synonymous with a lack of stable breeze…

 

 

Another attempt

The nine crew supporting Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard were all in attendance dockside in La Trinité-Sur-Mer, ready to get going, but they will have to be patient for several more days at least until the weather situation becomes favourable again in both the North and South Atlantic. It’s worth noting that the best WSSRC time (World Sailing Speed Record Council in charge of validating international records) between Ushant and the equator is still held by Spindrift 2 helmed by Yann Guichard and his team in 2019 (4d 20h 7’) while the record for the South Atlantic crossing is still in the hands of Francis Joyon and his crew on IDEC Sport in 2017 (7d 02h 23’)…

 

“That’s the nature of Jules Verne Trophy records and what makes them very hard to beat! This is especially true when the American and European weather files are in agreement that it would be necessary to go right around the outside of the Saint Helena High, avoid the ice close to South Georgia and finally reach the longitude of Good Hope in thirteen days… Sails of Change could still cross the equator in under four and a half days. However, despite the configuration in the South Atlantic still being favourable yesterday, that is no longer the case today. On top of that, the low pressure systems in the Southern Ocean are on a very low trajectory instead of tracking eastwards, which would indicate a rather laborious passage across the Indian Ocean,” explained Yann Guichard on Thursday morning, after consulting the latest grib fles with his onshore router (Jean-Yves Bernot) and his on-board navigator (Benjamin Schwartz).

 

In fact, it’s vital to be more than 90% sure you’ll reach the Cape of Good Hope in a sub-twelve-day time to stand a chance of winning the Jules Verne Trophy… That would not be the case if they were to set sail today as planned as there’s precious little chance of them being able to latch onto a last low pressure system rolling off Brazil after a week at sea! Naturally, the team remains on the alert to take on a round the world without using fossil energy (a first in the racing world!) and defend the colours of Sails of Change, which is flying the flag for the ‘30×30’ campaign (a global call to action to protect at least 30% of the ocean and the earth by 2030). See you soon for a fresh attempt over the coming days…

 

Dona Bertarelli, Yann Guichard and their nine crew will begin a fresh Jules Verne Trophy record attempt this Thursday. Early in the morning, the maxi-trimaran Sails of Change will cast off from her port of registry in La Trinité-Sur-Mer (Morbihan) to make for the start line offshore of Ushant. Their goal: to complete the non-stop, unassisted round the world course, leaving to port the three capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin, Horn), faster than the record time set by Francis Joyon and his men in 2017 of 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds. It’s also an opportunity for the crew of the maxi-trimaran Sails of Change to support the #30×30 campaign, which aims to protect 30% of the planet by 2030 and raise awareness about this cause.

 

A 4TH RECORD ATTEMPT 
Early on Thursday morning, the maxi-trimaran Sails of Change will leave her port of registry of La Trinité-Sur-Mer (Morbihan). On board, the 11 sailors on the largest offshore racing trimaran in the world will set a course for the island of Ushant offshore of Finistère. Later in the day, they’ll cross the Jules Verne Trophy start line located between Créac’h lighthouse and the Lizard Point lighthouse, with the objectives of breaking the round the world record under sail, which stands at 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds, as well as flying the flag for Sails of Change and the ‘30×30’ campaign, which aims to protect 30% of the planet by 2030.

 

For this fourth record attempt, the crew led by skipper Yann Guichard has pulled out all the stops in a bid to optimise the trimaran. The boat’s hull has notably been shortened by three metres to enhance the balance at the helm and limit vibration. On top of this, the cockpit has also been redesigned throughout to make it more comfortable for the sailors and less exposed to the sea spray. The maxi-trimaran’s sail plan has also been redesigned, the aerodynamics improved and the boat has undergone a weight-reduction programme.

 

At sea, Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard will be surrounded by a crew which boasts a combination of seasoned offshore racing sailors and high-energy youngsters.

 

On previous occasions, the team has posted the 3rd best time in the Jules Verne Trophy (in 2015 – 2016 in 47 days 10 hours and 59 minutes), earning Dona Bertarelli the title of fastest women around the world in 2015, together with the record for the Ushant – Equator section (in 2019 in 4 days 20 hours and 7 minutes). The whole team will be setting sail with these reference times uppermost in their thoughts, eager to take on one of the greatest challenges in offshore racing.

 

 

A FAVOURABLE WEATHER WINDOW

 

 

 
Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard are once more set to take on the Jules Verne Trophy, held since 2017 by Francis Joyon and his crew in a time of 40d 23h 30’ 30’’. Remodelled for improved performance over the course of last winter, Sails of Change (ex-Spindrift 2) maxi-trimaran will be sailed by an 11-strong crew.

 

This will be Yann Guichard’s fourth attempt as skipper on this round the world passage under sail, and he is taking on two challenges as he aims to both secure the Jules Verne Trophy and produce all their energy requirements self-sufficiently. Indeed, for the very first time, the whole journey will be undertaken with no auxiliary engine.
 

“We’re going to take on an additional challenge, since we’ll be attempting to break the round the world record without using any energy produced using fossil fuels. Our main sources of energy will come from the sun and wind, as well as an on-board bike-powered generator. We are keen to show it’s possible” – Yann Guichard.

 
This new energy challenge accompanies a series of technical solutions introduced over the winter, which relate to the cockpit, aerodynamics and central hull, the latter having been shortened by three metres. This latest modification provides improved balance at the helm and reduces vibration aboard the largest racing multihull ever built (37 metres), which has been renamed specially for this attempt: Sails of Change.

 

 

About Sails of Change
 
Sails of Change is a community of sport and nature lovers, who want to create a sustainable future for our planet. Founders Yann Guichard, Dona Bertarelli and her children are committed to sharing ideas and information, as well as creating partnerships to protect and restore the environment, and working for a sustainable future for all.
 
The first campaign supported by Sails of Change, ‘30×30’, is a global call to action to protect at least 30% of the ocean and land by 2030. The maxi-trimaran will carry this message around the world, with #30×30 logos emblazoned on her sails and hulls, together with distinctive blue and green colour-coding for the new livery on the racing stable’s flagship.
 
“Through the medium of a sport that we love, I invite everyone to embark with us on this human adventure, discover the beauty of nature and join us in our circumnavigation of the globe,” says Dona Bertarelli, on-board reporter for this latest attempt.

 

 

About Spindrift for Schools

The Sails of Change maxi will also fly the flag of the Spindrift for Schools educational programme, whose educational kit “Inspired by Nature: committed to action!” has just been published in partnership with the Departmental Service of National Education of the Morbihan region, the French Réseau Canopé in Lorient, Brittany, and with the support of UNESCO.
 
“Our aim is to inspire, raise awareness and prepare young people as they become the adults of tomorrow. We hope that through our passion and our commitment to nature, we can share knowledge and values to support children as they learn to work together and commit to their future,” explains Dona Bertarelli.

 

 

On standby from 1 November
 
The maxi-trimaran Sails of Change will set out from La Trinité-sur-Mer in south-west Brittany to make for the start line off Ushant as soon as there is a favourable weather window, with a standby commencing 1 November 2021.
 
Ten sailors with complementary backgrounds, five of whom have already circumnavigated the globe, will set sail alongside skipper Yann Guichard on this fourth crewed attempt. Two of them, Thierry Chabagny and Xavier Revil, won the Jules Verne Trophy in 2012, whilst Dona Bertarelli has held the title of fastest woman to sail around the world since 2016. In all, nine of the eleven sailors have previously been involved in a Jules Verne Trophy attempt. Only Julien Villion and Yann Jauvin will be making their Trophy debut in this legendary international offshore racing event.