- Circumnavigation: from adventurer to record-breaker via the Vendée Globe?
- The goal is the first non-stop circumnavigation of the world by an Ultim from east to west
- Ultim vs. aluminium monohull yacht: sometimes behind, sometimes ahead
- The second half is already underway: 12250 nautical miles to the finish
It was 23 February 2025 when Guirec Soudée crossed the finish line of his first Vendée Globe in 23rd place. The Frenchman returned from the race around the world with the Breton flag flying on the "Freelance.com" and a great deal of pride. At 89 days, 20 hours, 16 minutes and 20 seconds, Soudée only crossed the finish line 25 days after the winner Charlie Dalin, but the adventurous and now regatta-hungry sailor celebrated his solo with the many fans like a victory.
Circumnavigation: from adventurer to record-breaker via the Vendée Globe?
The then 32-year-old Ocean Lover made the leap from adventurer to regatta sailor with the Vendée Globe. Known before the start as the man who sailed around the world with his hen Monique had wintered in the ice of the Arctic and crossed the Atlantic twice in a rowing boat, he had now completed his solo premiere around the world in regatta mode.
On the very day of his arrival, Guirec announced to the assembled press on 8 February 2025 that his next goal would be to sail solo around the world from east to west on an Ultim. He had even surprised his own team with these plans at the time, but they were initially reassured by the fact that the skipper had probably announced these plans in a frenzy of emotion. But that was not the case.
As so often before, Guirec Soudée took the dream seriously and turned it into reality with his team. The day before Heilgabend Guirec Soudée had started his latest challenge with the Ultim-Maxi "Macsf". The special feature of the current solo race is that Soudée is sailing westwards - against the prevailing winds, against the storms he encounters. He wants to break the record that Jean Luc "VDH" Van Den Heede set 22 years ago with an old monohull yacht.
The goal is the first non-stop circumnavigation of the world by an Ultim from east to west
"VDH" set off on its non-stop east-west solo on 7 November 2003 and reached the finish line on 9 March 2004 after 122 days, 14 hours, 3 minutes and 49 seconds with the 26.40 metre long aluminium yacht "Adrien", designed by Gilles Vaton Studio. Guirec Soudée is now chasing this record with the Ultim giant "Macsf", once built as the "Sodebo Ultim" and later also known under her names "Actual Leader", "Mieux" and "Adagio". Before Guirec Soudée, no one had ever sailed solo and non-stop around the world from east to west in an Ultim.
There have only been two attempts with multihulls on this course so far. Yves Le Blevec tried it alone on "Actual Ultim" in 2017. However, the trimaran capsized shortly before Cape Horn. Romain Pilliard and Alex Pella took on the challenge with the trimaran "Use it Again" in 2021, but also failed in South America when they sought shelter in a series of low-pressure areas in Cook Bay after the Cape Horn Passage and the 75-foot Irish design, which had once been sailed by Ellen MacArthur as the former "B&Q", ran aground there.
On his 48th day of racing, Guirec Soudée sailed into the Tasman Sea between New Zealand and Tasmania in his latest world record attempt. He was travelling at just under 20 knots in this south-western part of the South Pacific during his circumnavigation on Sunday evening. The average speed achieved by "Macsf" since its launch is 17 knots.
Ultim vs. aluminium monohull yacht: sometimes behind, sometimes ahead
On 8 February, Soudée held a lead of a good 830 nautical miles over the course length completed by the reigning record holder at the same time, which he was recently able to extend again after lagging behind the "VDH" time for a while. Click here for the tracker for the Gurec Soudée solo.
At the weekend, an unusual meeting caused the good-humour barometer on board "Macsf" in the middle of the Pacific to skyrocket. "Look, there's a French Navy aircraft, they've just radioed me," cheered Guirec Soudée happily into his own camera. The skipper told the Falcon crew flying overhead that he had previously had to divert to the north in order to find better winds there, but was now able to head more directly for Australia's southern tip again and was "very happy" about it.
The aircraft crew described the solo circumnavigation against the prevailing winds to Guirec Soudée as "very courageous". It demonstrated "strong values such as perseverance, determination and control, values that we have in common". Soudée thanked her for the "incredible moment" and noted: "This will be part of my favourite memories."
The second half is already underway: 12250 nautical miles to the finish
Guirec Soudée will face further good and difficult times. Including those he experienced in the Cape Horn storm, for example. Guirec Soudée still had around 12,250 nautical miles ahead of him on the evening of 8 February. This means that the second half of this "wrong-way solo" around the world is already underway.
