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PARIS, TUESDAY 13 JUNE 2023
Alexia Barrier
unveiled her ambition to break the Jules Verne Trophy with an all-female
crew, at a VIP event at UNESCO in Paris on Tuesday 13 June 2023.
The French yachtswoman announced her crew pre-selection, confirmed her boats for the three year campaign and record attempt, and unveiled two founding partners to the campaign, CIC and IDEC.
Considered to be one of the toughest ocean challenges in the world, no woman has so far been part of any crew to conquer the legendary
Jules Verne
Trophy, the prestigious prize for the fastest
circumnavigation of the planet.
25 years ago, Tracy Edwards and the team of Royal & SunAlliance first attempted to break one of the last records left standing for an all-female crew. Now Barrier has created 'The Famous Project', bringing together the best female professional sailors from around the world, and with the boat that holds the current record, is aiming to make history and disrupt this all-male legacy.
On standby from October 2025, Barrier and co-skipper Dee Caffari, with a crew drawn from around the globe, will race the 100-foot Ultime trimaran IDEC Sport on a timed circumnavigation of the planet. The current record, set in 2017 by Francis Joyon on the same boat, stands at 40 days 23 hours 30 minutes and 30 seconds.
Alexia Barrier, skipper of The Famous Project: "We want to make the women of the planet 'Famous'! We want to shine a light on those who dare and to inspire others to realise their dreams and ambitions. Over the next three years, the Famous Project will highlight inspiring projects, both large and small. Ultimately we not only want to be the first ever all-female team to complete the Jules Verne Trophy route, we want to break the record at the same time."
A celebrated offshore skipper for over 20 years, Alexia has sailed the equivalent of 10 laps around the planet, completing the iconic solo, non-stop Vendée Globe in 2021 and has raced across the Atlantic no less than 18 times. Caffari is a record-breaking round the world sailor with six circumnavigations under her belt and is the only woman to have sailed around the world solo, in both directions. Alexia and Dee have put together a crew line-up with an unrivalled depth of experience in women's offshore sailing: 12 circumnavigations of the planet, 54 transatlantic races, three transpacific races, 28 world records and 16 championship titles.
Dee Caffari, co-skipper of The Famous Project is quoted as saying:
"This project will break down barriers. It will be the pinnacle of my career, a special record that few people have achieved or even attempted before. It's a great sporting challenge, but the project in itself is so much bigger. This is about creating an impact for women all around the world."
Following an intensive pre-selection process in the mountains and on the water in the first half of 2023, the current crew have been handpicked to ensure a complementary mix of experiences. Selection and training will continue throughout 2023 and 2024, with new talent from Olympic dinghy racers to seasoned offshore skippers introduced to the team. Each crew member excels in her field and is an essential asset to the success of this challenge.
The current crew training and racing with Alexia and Dee are:
- Helena Darvelid (SWE), 12 world speed sailing records
- Sara Hastreiter (USA), round the world sailor and mountain adventurer
- Elodie Jane Mettraux (SUI), leading multihull specialist
- Joan Mulloy (IRL), offshore solo specialist
- Marie Riou (FRA), The Ocean Race winner
- Marie Tabarly (FRA), skipper of Pen Duick VI
The all-female crew will be supported by a squad of multihull specialists led by Jonny Malbon (GBR) as Team Director, and an expert team of coaches including Brian Thompson (GBR), Sidney Gavignet (FRA), and Alex Pella (ESP).
The Famous Project will be running a two-boat campaign. The former Spindrift MOD70 - renamed Limosa - will be the training and selection platform. The team has also been supported by IDEC and has been given use of the Ultime IDEC Sport (formerly Groupama 3, Banque Populaire VII). The boat is the current holder of the Jules Verne Trophy Record and three-time winner of the Route du Rhum.
To create a lasting impact, Barrier and her crew will develop education and scientific programmes around ocean health. "The Famous Project is more than attempting to set the Trophy Jules Verne record," commented Barrier. "Over the coming months we will unveil the scientific program we will be undertaking with our partner,
UNESCO, as well as a global educational program, which will bring to life the importance of ocean health for school children. The Famous Project will leave an impact for many years to come."
HISTORY OF THE BOAT
The
IDEC SPORT was formerly Groupama 3, Banque Populaire VII, Lending Club 2, IDEC
3. She is a racing sailing trimaran designed for transoceanic record-setting. She is one of the world's fastest ocean-going sailing vessels and the current holder of the Jules Verne Trophy for
circumnavigation of the world. She was originally skippered by French yachtsman Franck Cammas, with a crew of ten and sponsored by the French insurance company Groupama. She is currently skippered by
Alexia Barrier. The CIC IDEC is not a foiler, it is a traditional hull design.
HISTORY
OF THE BOAT
Groupama 3 was launched on June 7, 2006. She was the transatlantic record holder between 2007 and 2009.
During a first attempt for the Jules Verne
Trophy (circumnavigation of the world) in 2008, Groupama 3 capsized off the coast of New-Zealand.
She was repaired in France and went for another attempt in 2009. Damage to the port hull led to the attempt being called off after 11 days, and the boat limped into
Cape Town for repairs. She then returned to France
Groupama 3 began her third attempt and on January 31, 2010. On March 20, 2010, she became the fastest boat to sail around the world and set a record of 48 days, 7 hours 44 minutes and 52 seconds, improving on Orange II's performance from 2005 by more than 2 days. She lost the record on January 7, 2012, to Banque Populaire V, a larger trimaran.
In 2010, she was retrofitted for single-handed racing to take part of the transatlantic race Route du Rhum. In November 2010, Groupama 3 won the French single-handed
transatlantic race Route du Rhum (between Brittany and Guadeloupe), with Frank Cammas at the helm, in 9 days and 14 hours, averaging 16.14 knots.
She was sponsored by French bank Banque Populaire to take part of 2014 Route du Rhum, which she won with skipper Loïck Peyron. In November 2014, Banque Populaire VII won Route du Rhum again, with Loick Peyron, in 7 days and 15 hours, beating the record by 2 hours and 10 minutes.
In 2015, French yachtsman Francis Joyon's sponsor IDEC announced that they now financed the boat. Under this new sponsorship the boat was leased for six months to Renaud Laplanche, the CEO of Lending Club. The boat was restored from her shortened-mast single-handed configuration to a full crew configuration and named Lending Club 2. Lending Club 2 set a new cross Channel record and a new
trans-Pacific record.
In September 2015 the boat's sponsorship changed to the IDEC Sport. The team set a new circumnavigation record in 2017 and won back the
Jules Verne
Trophée with a time of 40 days 23 hours 30 minutes 30 seconds.
LIST
OF TROPHY HOLDERS:
2017 – Francis Joyon / IDEC SPORT (31.5m) – 40:23:30:30
2012 – Loïck Peyron / Banque Populaire V (40m) – 45:13:42:53
2010 – Franck Cammas / Groupama 3 (31.5m) – 48:07:44:52
2005 – Bruno Peyron / Orange II (36.8m) – 50:16:20:04
2004 – Olivier De Kersauson / Geronimo (33.8m) – 63:13:59:46
2002 – Bruno Peyron / Orange (32.8m) – 64:08:37:24
1997 – Olivier De Kersauson / Sport-Elec (27.3m) – 71:14:22:08
1994 – Peter Blake, Robin Knox-Johnston / Enza New Zealand (28m) – 74:22:17:22
1993 – Bruno Peyron / Commodore Explorer (28m) – 79:06:15:56
LIST
OF ATTEMPTS:
2025
- Alexia
Barrier / The Famous Project - CIC and IDEC
2023
- Charles Caudrelier & Franck
Cammason / 2nd attempt - Maxi Edmond de
Rothschild
2021
- Charles Caudrelier / Gitana Team 1st attempt - Maxi Edmond de Rothschild & Franck
Cammas
2020 - Thomas Coville
/ Sodebo Ultim 3 1st attempt - foiling trimaran
2019, 2015 - Yann Guichard / 3 attempts
- Spindrift
2015 - Dona Bertarelli & Yann Guichard / 1 attempt
- Spindrift
2011 - Pascal Bidégorry / 1st attempt - Bank Populaire
2003 - Ellen MacArthur / 1 attempt
- Kingfisher II
1998 - Tracy Edwards / 1 attempt
- Royal Sun Alliance
CONTACTS
ASSOCIATION TOUR DU MONDE EN 80 JOURS
Musée de la Marine
Palais de Chaillot
17 place du Trocadéro
75016 Paris
Email:
contact@tropheejulesverne.org
LINKS
& REFERENCE
https://www.thefamousproject.fr/
https://www.thefamousproject.fr/
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