Thomas Coville on the maxi trimaran Sodebo crosses the equator in less than 7 days on his round the world solo record attempt

From the following press release (in French) on the sodebo maxi trimaran website:

http://www.sodebo.fr/voile/actualites/article/sodebo-franchi-equateur-moins-7-jours

and the rough bing translate below:

24/01/2014

Sodebo crossed the equator in less than 7 days!

First contract completed for Thomas Coville, who cut the virtual border between the two hemispheres that night to 4 h 01 ' 50 (French time). As it was the skipper who tackles record around the world single-handed, Sodebo passes under 7 days for this first part of course. Party of Ouessant Friday last at 7 h 42'44 ", the maxi-trimaran crossed the equator in 6 days, 20 hours, 19 minutes and 6 seconds after having travelled on the bottom from the start 3538 miles with the average speed of 21.5 knots. On the direct route, the ship conducted 3018 miles to 18.4 knots. Thomas is better than on these first three attempts. With only 3 hours and 16 minutes behind the record holder Francis Joyon who had 6 days and 16 hours and 58 minutes in 2007, the 'challenger' Coville is well in the match!

Thomas Bravo and bravo to its routers, Jean-Luc Nélias, Thierry Douillard, and Thierry Briend who knew how to get the most out of a window far from easy. With a start to the close in muscular conditions, the game is not announced simple for Sodebo who had several weather transitions to negotiate before touching fast conditions.

A passage from light winds in the Bay of Biscay, a shot of dog throughout Portugal, a first quick 'run' under Madeira before squalls in the Canary Islands, Thomas has given a lot on these first three days. He was then awarded by three days of pure gliding. Yesterday, slowdowns of the 'Pot - le-Noir' had expected, allowing the skipper to win quickly towards the equator. Since the beginning of the afternoon, the Speedo has nevertheless slowed without ever stopping for as much. This morning, happened in the southern hemisphere at 12.3 knots for an average speed of 14.3 knots over the last 24 hours.

A peeling scores of the night, imagine however the efforts made by the skipper to adapt the wing of his boats to the horrors of the 'pot'. The Trinitain was not the only one to activate as a handsome devil to move his trimaran since Lionel Lemonchois who carries out Port Louis (France) - Port Louis (Mauritius), another record of Francis Joyon, plunged South 3 h 15 minutes before Thomas.

And already, a new chapter opens for these solitaires that must definitively out of the 'Pot - le-Noir' and then fetch the southeast trade winds before the St. Helena anticyclone which seems well spread on the road. Follow...

In the meantime, to find Thomas at 1400 hours on sodebo.fr/sail



Photo Yvan Zedda/Sodebo