It takes courage and a touch of madness to sail around the world, tackling the world’s seas. Some have done it and have written their names in the history of ocean racing with round-the-world records.
This January 2024 in Britany on the west coast of France, there was a start of what some are describing as the most extreme race in offshore sailing the Aria Al Team Challenge, a new solo non-stop Race Around the World in 32 M long foiling trimarans.
A fleet race with teams has never been done before and perhaps for very good reason. There are very few people in the world that have ever considered taking this on, in fact only four people have ever achieved.
Six skippers set off from Brest solo to attempt a unique round-the-world trip aboard their Ultim trimarans. The Arkea Ultime Challenge Brest is an extraordinary race between six exceptional sailors aboard a fleet of incredible machines, most of them fully foiling between 40-50 days.
French solo racer Charles Caudrelier, skipper of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild crossed the finish line off the coast of Brest to win the ARKΓA ULTIM CHALLENGE-Brest, the first ever solo multihull race around the world, sailed in giant 32m long ULTIM class trimarans.
The race leader who has been unchallenged at the front of the race since the night of January 17, Caudrelierβ triumphs on the first edition of this unprecedented race. Before he had to slow to avoid a huge storm at Cape Horn, at one point in the Pacific Ocean Caudrelier was ahead of the time needed to set a new all time record for sailing solo round the world.
His elapsed time is 50 days, 19 hours and 7 minutes and 42 seconds since leaving Brest in the six boat fleet on Sunday 7th January.
After a thrilling head to head duel with 26 year old Tom Laperche down the South Atlantic, Caudrelier, who turned 50 years old on Monday, widened the gap to over 2500 miles ahead of his nearest rival after Laperche had to retire into Cape Town with damage caused by a collision.
Along his route, Caudrelier set a new record for the Indian Ocean and then proved he knew how to moderate his pace to look after his high tech flying ULTIM and give himself and the emblematic Gitana team the best chance of completing the 24,260 nautical miles course.
More info on this foiling event at https://www.arkeaultimchallengebrest.com/en
