Jules Verne Trophy: Sodebo Ultim 3 must contend with Storm Ingrid before completing the race...
by Sodebo Ultim 3 22 Jan 20:50 GMT
22 January 2026
Sodebo Ultim 3 on the Jules Verne Trophy attempt © Team Sodebo
Nearly 1,500 nautical miles (2,778 km) remain to the finish line of the Jules Verne Trophy between Ushant and Lizard Point. However, Thomas Coville, Benjamin Schwartz, Frédéric Denis, Pierre Leboucher, Léonard Legrand, Guillaume Pirouelle, and Nicolas Troussel know that these final hours will be extremely challenging.
A major obstacle awaits them: a powerful winter storm named Ingrid is blocking their path between the Azores and the Bay of Biscay. Faced with these extreme conditions, which the boat has never encountered but for which it was designed, they will strive to find the right balance to continue making progress while remaining safe. Still ahead of IDEC Sport, the Sodebo Ultim 3 crew is expected to cross the finish line between Saturday evening and Sunday morning. To break the record that has stood since 2017, they must cross the line before 8:31 pm on Sunday evening...
Riding the trade winds that are allowing them to continue their ascent of the Atlantic, the crew has enjoyed a bit of a respite these past few hours. "It was a bit rough, but we eased off," confides Benjamin Schwartz. "We're mainly focused on managing the situation to prepare for what's to come." Indeed, everyone has their eyes fixed on what awaits them starting tomorrow, when they approach the Azores. "A very large winter storm is coming our way and will accompany us all the way to the Bay of Biscay," explains Thomas Coville. Winds of over 40 knots, gusts up to 50 knots, and a raging sea are expected, with "swells of over 10 meters," he specifies.
“Finding the right balance between speed and safety”
With the first effects of the storm expected to be felt by noon tomorrow, the crew of Sodebo Ultim 3 is leaving nothing to chance as they prepare. A complete check of the giant trimaran has been carried out. The crew is also working closely with the shore-based routing team to monitor their trajectories. “Our goal is to give ourselves some leeway to anticipate the worst conditions,” explains Philippe Legros, head of the routing team. In practical terms, Sodebo Ultim 3 should stay close to the direct route. “If the routing takes us near the Spanish coast, we have chosen a more westerly route to maintain a margin for error.” Once the worst of the storm has passed, the end of the race also looks uncertain, due to secondary weather phenomena generated by the low-pressure system.
This depression, "it's like a journey into the unknown," asserts Philippe Legros. To cope with it, Thomas Coville emphasizes the importance of "finding the right balance between speed, safety, and the record." Benjamin Schwartz smiles: "The goal is to arrive with the record, but above all, to arrive." In such conditions, it's difficult to know precisely when Sodebo Ultim 3 will cross the finish line. Thomas Coville mentions "an arrival sometime between Saturday night and Sunday morning, perhaps Sunday." In the meantime, vigilance, concentration, and composure are at their peak. "This attempt at the Jules Verne Trophy hasn't been easy," concludes Thomas. "It's up to us to manage this new challenge as best we can."
The voyage in figures:
Departure from Ouessant: Monday, December 15th at 9:01 PM
To beat the record, the crew must cross the line again before January 25, 2026 at 8:31 PM (French time).
Ouessant-equator
Crossing: Saturday, December 20th at 01:03:30 (French time)
Travel time: 4 days 4 hours 2 minutes 25 seconds*
Deviation from Spindrift (based on 4 days, 19 hours, 57 minutes at the equator) of 15 hours, 54 minutes, and 35 seconds
Difference with Idec Sport (based on 5 days 18h 59min) of 1 day 14h56min35s
Number of miles traveled: 3355 miles (6213 km)
Average speed since the start: 33.3 knots
Ouessant-Cape of Good Hope
Crossing the Cape of Good Hope: Friday, December 26, 2025 at 8:56:57 PM (French time)
Travel time: 10 days, 23 hours, 55 minutes, 52 seconds
Difference with the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild (11 days, 9 hours, 53 minutes in 2021): 9 hours, 56 minutes faster
Difference with Idec Sport (12 days, 19 hours, 28 minutes): 1 day, 19 hours, 31 minutes faster
Ouessant-Cape Leeuwin
Passage time at Leeuwin 22h18min 43s (French time) this Thursday, January 1, 2026
Travel time: 17 days, 1 hour, 17 minutes and 38 seconds
Gap to IDEC Sport (17 days, 6 hours, 59 minutes): 5 hours, 41 minutes, 22 seconds ahead of Idec
Number of miles traveled: 13,184 miles since the start
Average speed since the start: 32.1 knots
Tasmania (Southeast Cape)
Passage on January 3rd at 1:35 PM (French time) in 18 days, 16 hours, 34 minutes.
Gap to Idec: 1 hour 56 minutes ahead
Cape Horn
Passage time on January 11th at 01:47 (French time)
Travel time from Ushant to Cape Horn: 26 days, 4 hours, 46 minutes
Pacific crossing duration TASMANIA - HORN: 7 days, 12 hours, 12 minutes
Distance covered from Ouessant for Sodebo Ultim 3: 19781 miles (18332 for Idec in 2017)
Distance travelled further than IDEC: 1449 miles
Gap to Idec Sport (26 days, 15 hours, 45 minutes): 10 hours, 59 minutes ahead at Cape Horn
Pacific record (Tasmania-Cape Horn)
7 days, 12 hours, 12 minutes*
Difference with François Gabart (7 days 15 hours 20 minutes): 3 hours 7 minutes
*subject to WSSRC validation
Sodebo Ultim 3 crew for the Jules Verne Trophy attempt:
Thomas Coville (57 years old) - Frédéric Denis (41 years old) - Pierre Leboucher (45 years old) - Léonard Legrand (31 years old) - Guillaume Pirouelle (31 years old) - Benjamin Schwartz (38 years old) - Nicolas Troussel (51 years old)
The reference times for the record to beat:
Jules Verne Trophy record (IDEC SPORT): 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes:
Ecuador: 5 days 18 hours 59 minutes
Good Hope: 12 days 19 hours 28 minutes
Cape Leeuwin: 17 days, 6 hours, 59 minutes
Cape Horn: 26 days, 6 hours, 45 minutes
Follow the Jules Verne Trophy on an interactive map
This year again, Sodebo pushes the boundaries of race tracking with enhanced, immersive mapping designed to let you experience the round-the-world record attempt from the inside. After launching this unique experience during the last attempt, and then expanding it on the Transat Café L'Or, we're back with an even more comprehensive and transparent 2025 version.
Go to sodebo-ultim3.sodebo.com
As soon as you access the chartplotter, you can see at a glance who's on watch, who's manoeuvring, who's resting, and follow the race time in real time. An intuitive interface for instantly understanding life aboard Sodebo Ultim 3.
To experience the pace at over 40 knots, a live onboard camera feed is regularly available. This offers rare, raw, and authentic access to what's happening on deck, both in key moments and in the daily routine of the record attempt.
FAN ZONE - A dedicated space that allows the public to ask questions directly to the onshore team. The answers are published live: a simple, interactive and ultra-educational way to get into the race, understand the choices, the challenges, and the situations encountered by the crew around the world.