Sails of Change to set sail on the Jules Verne Trophy in a fossil fuel-free attempt
by Spindrift racing 14 Oct 2021 07:37 PDT
Spindrift Team © Chris Schmid / Spindrift
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," explains skipper 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.
2021 crew on the maxi-trimaran Sails of Change
- Yann Guichard - skipper
- Dona Bertarelli - on-board reporter
- Benjamin Schwartz - navigator
- Jacques Guichard - Watch leader
- Xavier Revil - Watch leader
- Jackson Bouttell - Watch leader, bowman
- Duncan Späth - sailor
- Thierry Chabagny - sailor
- Gregory Gendron - sailor
- Julien Villion - sailor
- Yann Jauvin - sailor, bowman
- Jean-Yves Bernot - onshore router