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.
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 "30x30" 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".