The Famous Project CIC on the Jules Verne Trophy start on Saturday
by Agence TB Press 28 Nov 04:13 NZDT
29 November 2025
The Famous Project CIC on the Jules Verne Trophy © CIC
The big challenge launched by Alexia Barrier and the seven women of "The Famous Project CIC" for the Jules Verne Trophy is set to begin on Saturday!
A weather "window" is opening up over the near Atlantic this weekend, and the maxi trimaran IDEC SPORT will leave the pontoon in Brest (Quai du Commandant Malbert) on Saturday morning between 11 a.m. and noon to reach the official starting line for all great sailing records, between the Créac'h lighthouse on the island of Ouessant and Lizard Point lighthouse (England).
Alexia, Dee (Cafari), Annemieke (Bes), Rebecca (Gmuer), Deb (Blair), Molly (Lapointe), Xiquita (Etchegoyen), and Stacey (Jackson) are setting out to conquer the ultimate round-the-world race, unassisted, non-stop, and in a maxi multihull. Their long preparation is coming to an end, and it is with enthusiasm, mutual trust, and excitement that they are attempting to beat the breathtaking time set in 2017 by Francis Joyon and his five crew members aboard the same legendary trimaran, IDEC SPORT: 40 days and 23 hours. Above all, they aim to "close the loop" and become the first all-female crew to achieve this feat.
Crossing the starting line on Saturday afternoon!
"There is no such thing as an ideal weather window," Alexia Barrier repeats, supported in this by Christian Dumard, the shore-based weather expert. Choosing the right time to start is inevitably a compromise between wind, sea conditions, and the alignment of short, medium, and long-term weather systems. The space offered this Saturday by the circulation of two High pressure systems over the North Atlantic encourages a start, with an immediate race against time and against the movement of a high-pressure area threatening to close the door off Cape Finisterre. "The front will pass over the starting area on Saturday morning," explains Christian Dumard, a well recognized weather specialist. "The idea is to leave just behind it, in the early afternoon, in a northwesterly wind of less than 30 knots, which will gradually weaken. This window is very short and does not necessarily offer an absolute chance of achieving a "blistering" time at the equator. But it does offer favorable wind and sea conditions for downwind sailing and a relatively comfortable start for the crew."
Downwind start in rough seas...
This is a desirable criterion for Alexia and her seven female crew members, who refuse to put themselves "in the red" right from the start. "We will leave Brest on Saturday before noon and cross the line about two hours later. There will be rough seas, with swells of over 4 meters, which are perfectly manageable aboard IDEC SPORT." continues Alexia. "The danger is that the high-pressure system centered off the coast of Portugal will grow and block us as we pass Cape Finisterre. We would then have to turn back and resume our standby in Brest." This is a scenario that the eight women of The Famous Project CIC do not even consider, as the desire to succeed is clear on their faces. "All the teams, both at sea and on land, are more motivated than ever to make this departure a success and finally embark on the wonderful adventure that awaits us... "
How to follow The Famous Project CIC's record attempt?
- The official The Famous Project CIC app on iOS and Android, available for download
- The Famous Project CIC maps
- The website
- The Famous Project CIC social media: LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook
- Daily LIVE updates from on board via The Famous Project CIC YouTube channel
The crew:
- Alexia Barrier - France - Captain
- Dee Caffari - Great Britain - Second
- Annemieke Bes - Netherlands
- Rebecca Bex Gmuer - Switzerland - New Zeeland
- Deborah Blair- Great Britain
- Molly Lapointe - USA-Italy - Boat Captain
- Tamara Xiquita Echegoyen - Spain
- Stacey Jackson - Australia
The Jules Verne Trophy route
- Cross the starting line defined by a line connecting the Créac'h lighthouse on the island of Ouessant and the Lizard Point lighthouse.
- Sail around the world, passing Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin, and Cape Horn on the port side.
- Cross the line defined above in the opposite direction.
Great circle distance of 21,760 nautical miles (40,300 km).
Jules Verne Trophy record: IDEC SPORT, Francis Joyon 2017
- 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes
- Average speed of 22.84 knots
- Crew: Francis Joyon, Sébastien Audigane, Gwénolé Gahinet, Alex Pella, Clément Surtel, Bernard Stamm