Entering 2025 I realised very quickly that I needed to adjust my mantra. I had become so comfortable telling people that my next big round the world project was taking place ‘next year’ that I hadn’t fully appreciated that next year was actually this year. The change from ‘next’ to ‘this’ has been a sharp reality check and, in truth, we are just months away from The Famous Projects’ Jules Verne Trophy attempt. The optimal weather window for our endeavour sits between October and February, with limited stretch either end of that. What seems counterintuitive for those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere makes total sense when you explain that the Southern Ocean is best tackled in the Southern Hemisphere summer so we can experience the best weather possible and lowest risk of ice. As soon as you extend the weather window in either direction, the potential for storms, big waves and presence of ice are all higher. The Southern Ocean is challenging enough without adding to the risks we are going to face.
Throughout this winter, numerous attempts have been made by two other teams for the coveted Jules Verne Record. SVR Lazartigue, led by Francois Gabart, have set off several times but a combination of weather, breakages and setbacks have thwarted Francois and his team with all attempts sadly being unsuccessful.
Sodebo, led by Thomas Coville, also set off several times to challenge for the record. Despite one of their attempts reaching as far as the Southern Ocean, a damaged rudder forced them to abandon. This illustrates just how difficult this challenge is, the reason the current record has stood for so long and begs the question ‘is it even possible to beat?’ The Famous Project believe it is but we certainly don’t underestimate what lies ahead.
I spent the winter following the impressive fleet in the Vendée Globe and saw Charlie Dalin not only win the event but also smash the long-standing record by an incredible 9 days, 8 hours, 12 minutes and 57 seconds. Faster boats, improved preparation and weather (for some!) allows for optimum sailing so we firmly believe the record can be beaten. As we know, there are many variables that are hard to predict in offshore sailing. The end results rarely reflect the impact weather systems, breakages, repairs, illnesses, injuries and the sheer effort involved have on a team or individual but we all accept that as part of the package.
The Famous Project have been in a forced holding pattern due to the financial structure of the project with our partners. However, we were able to come together for a bitterly cold training week in January, sailing from Canet en Rousillon near Perpignan. It was fabulous sailing with beautiful views of the snow-capped mountains of the Pyrenees as a backdrop. With the wind blowing hard from that direction, it was also incredibly cold out on the water. The first wall of spray that hit us, delivered the familiar ice cream head sensation before all our extremities went numb. Sailing under the watchful eye of our coaches, Brian Thompson and Team Manager Jonny Malbon, they made sure we gained as much as possible from our time together. We worked hard on communication and teamwork, which improved significantly as the week went on. We also captured some footage for the SailorZ Film Festival where our release will be aired for the first time in Paris on the 5th March. Check out the trailer here; https://youtu.be/BMagw91YFoE
With some sailing downtime, we have all taken the opportunity to focus on our fitness. Building the correct foundations for racing around the world as fast as you can is key because, once you are engaged in on boat training and racing, you are limited to a maintenance programme. Making improvements to strength and power now while having the time to commit to a programme is essential preparation. I really enjoy this aspect of round the world challenges and am aware how much work we need to put in behind the scenes to build that strong base. The harder we work now, the easier it should be when we put it to the test. We shall see…