New Cape Horn record for Sodebo Ultim 3 - will their lead over IDEC Sport be enough?

Sodebo Ultim 3 at Cape Horn © Team Sodebo

Thomas Coville and the crew of Sodebo Ultim 3 have rounded Cape Horn, the last of the great Capes in their circumnavigation, in a record time of 26 days, 4 hours, 46 minutes and 25 seconds.

The team on the 105 foot long Ultim trimaran have endured a tricky end to their Pacific Ocean crossing, but still remain ahead of the Jules Verne Trophy record pace set by Francis Joyon on IDEC Sport in 2016/17, but they know their journey up the Atlantic will be challenging, and Joyon’s passage, especially in the North Atlantic, was exceptional.

While rounding the legendary point is yet another amazing achievement, the team are fully aware that the ultimate goal is far from complete.

We take a look at their Pacific Ocean crossing, as well as the whole Jules Verne Trophy route and the other records that the team has broken so far.

From Cape Leeuwin, their passage east to the south of Australia and past New Zealand has been a roller-coaster of emotions, as well as having to navigate seas of over five metres at times.

Their lead over IDEC Sport dropped to just 15 miles along the length of Australia, and they briefly fell behind record pace to the south of New Zealand, before regaining a lead at the time that Joyon had to travel relatively far north due to the weather systems they encountered back in 2017.

At Point Nemo their advantage increased to 200 nautical miles, increasing to over 500, before light winds hampered them on the approach to Cape Horn, halving their lead at the famous landmark. We also look at where they are, and the immediate challenges ahead.

Right now, the team are heading upwind to the North East, and will be looking to hook into the favourable winds between Argentina and the Falkland Islands, avoiding light headwinds winds to the East. The routing is complex in this area in the world, and they need a strong passage to the equator as they aim to build a lead of over a thousand nautical miles by the equator, as they know that Joyon’s team had an extraordinary finish when they set the record.

You can track their progress live at sodebo-ultim3.sodebo.com as well as sending the team a good luck message!