Martin Lange, edited by Alexandre Dalifard / Photo credit: LOIC VENANCE / AFP
On January 7, six sailors will embark on a unique adventure. A solo race around the globe. Called “Arkea Ultim Challenge”, this sailing race will start from Brest and must end between 40 and 50 days. The record is 42 days, 16 hours and 40 minutes, held by François Gabart.
You know Around the world in 80 days, the famous novel by Jules Verne? This Sunday morning, Europe 1 takes you around the world in less than 50 days and by sail. There are six sailors taking on this crazy challenge: a race around the globe. It is called the Arkea Ultim Challenge and will leave Brest on January 7.
“We are taken for crazy”
Six giants of the seas, the Ultims, these flying boats over 30 meters long, lined up in Brest harbor and ready to embark on a unique adventure. “There are only four people who have managed to do this solo trip around the world. We are going to go racing for this time, so it’s a bit of a crazy challenge,” admits Tom Laperche, 26, the youngest of the committed.
Until now, only monohulls had their round-the-world race, the famous Vendée Globe. From now on, trimarans will also be able to compete on the three oceans of the world. “I can compare it to someone who is going into space or someone who is going to climb Everest. We are going on an extraordinary adventure. Perhaps writing a new great page. We are clearly in this ambition, like the Vendée Globe sailors were in 1989 during the first edition. There were thirteen of them, we took them a bit for crazy. I think today, we are taken for crazy”, admits Armel Le Cleach.
Objective: finish the race between 40 and 50 days, almost half as long as Phileas Fogg, the character imagined by Jules Verne. “We are asked to last 50 days, to go faster than any boat has ever raced around the world. It’s an adventure to go around the world. I hope we all get there “, wishes Charles Caudrelier. And, for the best of them, dream of the world record: 42 days, 16 hours and 40 minutes. François Gabart has held this record since 2017.