Final sprint for the Jules Verne Trophy record - Sodebo crosses equator to the northern hemisphere
by Mark Jardine / Team Sodebo 19 Jan 00:39 PST
19 January 2026
Sodebo Ultim 3 on the Jules Verne Trophy attempt © Team Sodebo
This Monday, January 19th, at 4:20 AM (French time), Thomas Coville, Benjamin Schwartz, Frédéric Denis, Pierre Leboucher, Léonard Legrand, Guillaume Pirouelle, and Nicolas Troussel on Sodebo Ultim 3 crossed the equator and are back in the northern hemisphere.
After 34 days, 7 hours, and 19 minutes at sea, they still maintain a lead of 20 hours and 49 minutes over the record held by IDEC Sport, who crossed it in 35 days, 4 hours, and 9 minutes in 2017. But the North Atlantic, the final leg, promises to be a new challenge with its share of difficulties, particularly rounding the Azores High to the east. Then, they will likely have to navigate rough seas off the coast of Spain and in the Bay of Biscay due to a powerful low-pressure system crossing the Atlantic.
To break the record, the crew of Sodebo Ultim 3 must cross the line before 8:31 pm on Sunday, January 25th and cover the last 3,279 miles to the finish line between Ushant and Lizard Point!
You can track their progress live at sodebo-ultim3.sodebo.com as well as sending the team a good luck message!