The Famous Project CIC Jules Verne Trophy record attempt

The Famous Project CIC Jules Verne Trophy record attempt - Day 38

by Agence TB Press 6 Jan 16:54 GMT 6 January 2026

It was 14.14 UTC on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, when The Famous Project-CIC's IDEC SPORT Maxi Trimaran, led by her highly international crew composed of Alexia (Barrier), Dee (Caffari), Annemieke (Bes), Rebecca (Gmür Hornell), Deborah (Blair), Molly (LaPointe), Támara (Echegoyen) and Stacey (Jackson) rounded Cape Horn.

Passing cape Horn this afternoon on the 38th day of the race
A forgiving Pacific
First forever...
4 new cape Horn achievers, and 7th all around best time between Ushant and Horn

It was a historic moment in the long and storied history of ocean racing, as never before had an all-female crew rounded this famous chilean rock in a non-stop multihull race. On their 38th day of sailing and after covering nearly 16,000 miles (25,700 km), the sailors can now begin the final feat of their journey: crossing the vast Atlantic Ocean. More than ever, the colossal challenge dreamed up by Alexia Barrier and her "girls" to complete a non-stop round-the-world race in a maxi multihull is taking shape with every mile covered towards Ushant and Brest.

Passing cape Horn this afternoon on the 38th day of the race - photo © The Famous Project CIC

A relatively mild Pacific

Entering the Pacific at the longitude of Tasmania on December 26, the sailors of The Famous Project-CIC took just under 11 days to reach Cape Horn, then 3 800 miles away. It was a fast crossing, marked by 48 hours of very heavy weather, with hellish seas and waves over 8 meters high, and winds gusting to over 50 knots. The crew, now perfectly attuned to the maneuvers and handling of the maxi trimaran, demonstrated their strength, cohesion, and composure, constantly confronted with a stubborn mainsail hook that sometimes forced them to flee in order to take in or release a reef. It was a trans-Pacific crossing marked by consistency, with the maxi trimaran regularly covering more than 550 miles a day, on a route that was certainly very northern, but efficient and rational, skirting the violent depressions of the far south. Subjected to fatigue, cold, and snow, but always focused on adjustments, anticipation, and the refined piloting of the maxi trimaran, the girls of The Famous Project-CIC have demonstrated the solidarity and constant goodwill that are the hallmarks of a round-the-world race that is now more than ever within their reach.

International milestones

Although the finish line at Ushant is still a long way off and the course is fraught with pitfalls, Cape Horn remains an important milestone in these extreme voyages, still as difficult to round as ever, to the point that few women sailors, solo or in a crew, have ever made it part of a non-stop circumnavigation. Once again, the crew of The Famous Project CIC is the first 100% female crew to round it non-stop from Ushant. Other women, 19 in total, have also achieved this remarkable feat, either solo in the Vendée Globe (13 women), the Barcelona World Race (2) or the Golden Globe Race (2), or in multihulls such as Ellen MacArthur, solo, or Dona Bertarelli as part of a mixed crew. On board The Famous Project- IC, many of them are basking in the glory of this achievement. Dutch sailor Annemieke Bes can now boast of being the first female sailor from the low countries to cross this famous cape, which owes its name to the great Dutch explorer Jacob Le Maire and his hometown of Hoorn, under the conditions described above. Italo-American Molly Lapointe can also claim this first for Italy. As for 25-year-old Briton Deborah "Debs" Blair, she is the third youngest woman after Ellen MacArthur and Violette Dorange to sail in these Antarctic waters.

Passing cape Horn this afternoon on the 38th day of the race - photo © The Famous Project CIC

A third of the race still to go...

Like the Cape of Good Hope, Leeuwin, and Tasmania, Cape Horn is not a milestone. More than 7,000 miles remain, or a third of the race. Everyone on board is fully aware of this, and once the celebrations of passing the famous rock are over, all minds will turn to the passage to State Island, the Falklands, and the reunion with the arbiter of South Atlantic navigation, the Saint Helena High.

Alexia Barrier: "A collective emotion"

"The emotion at Cape Horn is not the same as that experienced in 2021 during the Vendée Globe. It is just as strong, but it is different. During the Vendée Globe, Cape Horn was a very intimate moment, almost solitary, fraught with fatigue, tension, and individual responsibility. I had very bad weather and I was very scared. I cried a lot. Today, the emotion is deeply collective. It is shared. It circulates in the looks, in the silences, in the gestures. It is a cape experienced together, with a close-knit crew, on a boat of exceptional power. Loneliness has given way to an awareness of what we are experiencing."

"A very exclusive club!"

"Crossing Cape Horn means entering a very exclusive club. Few crews, even fewer female crews, and absolutely no female crews aboard a giant multihull sailing at high speed around the world have ever achieved this. This passage is deeply challenging. It requires extreme preparation, constant vigilance, and total trust between the boat, the crew, and the elements. When you round Cape Horn, you know that the hardest part is behind you. The Southern Seas, with their isolation, coldness, and constant intensity, forge sailors and teams. That doesn't mean the rest is easy. "

The validation of a solid project

"The North Atlantic in winter can be just as tough, unpredictable, and demanding. But this cape marks a turning point. A stage where you feel that the crew has held on, that the project is solid, and that the adventure has entered a new phase. It is both a liberation and a transition. You feel that something is opening up, that the horizon is changing. For The Famous Project -CIC, this passage is both a symbol and a validation.

That of total commitment, a close-knit international team, and a unique project written by women, at the highest level, in one of the most extreme environments on the planet.

Passing cape Horn this afternoon on the 38th day of the race - photo © The Famous Project CIC

A clement Pacific

"The Pacific was relatively mild, but it would be an understatement to stop there. Above all, it was also demanding. Long fast phases, pressure, cold, humidity, and constant vigilance. More than 48 hours with winds around 40 knots and rough seas, with waves nearly 5 meters high.

These conditions were very challenging, both physically and mentally. These are moments when you can't cheat: teamwork, preparation, and trust between the sailors make all the difference. Having gone through these difficult phases before tackling Cape Horn reinforces the conviction that the crew is ready for the rest of the race."

"The crew has matured:"

The crew is calmer, more composed, more confident. The automatic responses are there. Decisions are made more smoothly. Everyone knows their place, their strengths, their limits, and those of others. There are fewer words, but more understanding. This is the sign of a team that has matured at sea. The crew is stronger, more aligned, more experienced. We have grown together, through effort, endurance, and performance. This is a crew that knows how to endure, adapt, and move forward together, and that has learned to sail faster. "

Rebecca Gmuer Hornell:

"I was really looking forward to rounding Cape Horn. It's a bit like the Everest of sailing, an experience that few people have the chance to enjoy, and I'm happy to be able to tick it off my list.

I think I've matured as an offshore sailor. I've learned to better manage my emotions and my physical condition in difficult conditions.

Staying at sea for so long is in itself a huge challenge and an experience that few people get to have, not to mention the conditions we face on a daily basis.

I'm really happy to check off the Southern Ocean and head north. We consider each cape a new beginning, and Cape Horn is no exception. Now that we've passed it, we're entering a new ocean and facing a new challenge, and we're getting a little closer to our ultimate goal, which is to reach the end!"

Dee Caffari:

"Every passage is unique and a blessing. I know that when we set out, not all sailors manage to make it through, so when we do, it's special. I'm lucky that every passage has been very different for me. Solo, in a team, leading a team, with the wind behind us and against us. This time, it's with a team of remarkable sailors on a very special boat, and it took very little time.

The South was very different from my previous experiences. It wasn't as hostile, but that said, the sea conditions weren't always easy. On a maxi trimaran, sea conditions are paramount. This machine is just begging to go fast, so it was crucial to manage it in difficult sea conditions. The other major difference is that this boat has a high freeboard, which makes it feel like you're further away from the sea and therefore less wet and cold than I remember.

I'm very happy for the rookies on board, they're thrilled to have reached this important milestone and rightly so, it's a considerable achievement. The difficulty is that there are still 7,000 miles to go to the finish line and the Atlantic can be cruel. It is important to remain focused and diligent for the last few miles, even if we are sailing them with more confidence and speed.

I think Alexia and I are working well together and have a better command of the boat. I am also aware of a few small changes we could make for greater safety and ease. We are also more confident in the configuration and control of the boat. As is often the case, now that we have covered all these miles, we are better prepared to race at full speed. This trip has been good training, and we will be more experienced and better prepared for the next one when we set off again !"