Not even 24 hours and already half-turned

Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier’s world record attempt didn’t last… 24 hours. Barely launched at the helm of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild trimaran, the two sailors were forced to turn around and resume the direction of Lorient, from which they had left on Sunday afternoon (they had crossed the starting line, defined by a line connecting the Créac’h lighthouse on the island of Ouessant and the Cap Lizard lighthouse, at 2:09 p.m.) with the aim of breaking the Jules-Verne Trophy record, held since 2017 by Francis Joyon on IDEC Sport with a crewed round the world in 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds. Caudrelier, the winner of the last Route du Rhum, and his co-skipper Cammas, accompanied by four other sailors Erwan Israel, Yann Riou, Morgan Lagravière and David Boileau, must have become disillusioned very quickly. Blame it on damage “which occurred on an engine component” when they had just reached the Bay of Biscay.

Caudrelier and Cammas hope to leave, but without knowing if it will be possible

The crew, which had been waiting since December 22 for the weather conditions to prove favorable and allow them to set off, was forced to turn back, without any guarantee yet of being able to resume the start, which must imperatively take place at the beginning of March in later. “The objective (is) now to repair in order to be able to wait for a favorable weather window as soon as possible”, indicated Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, specifying that the engine is “essential for recharging batteries and any the necessary autonomy”, but that it is not used to advance on the other hand. Or how history repeats itself for Camams and Caudrelier, who had already tried two years in a row, in 2020 and 2021, to break Joyon’s record. Both times, the crew had to give up, already because of damage. The Breton and the Provençal hoped this time to be able to go to the end. However, they had never thrown in the towel so soon. It starts badly, especially since it may already be over.