Currently focusing on the Jules Verne Trophy, the IDEC SPORT team is looking ahead to 2017 and has announced it will be taking part in THE BRIDGE, an unusual ocean race opposing the Queen Mary 2 and a fleet of maxi-multihulls sailedby crews between the bridge in Saint-Nazaire and the Verrazano Bridge in New York. Following the opposite route to that taken by the American soldiers, who arrived in France in June 1917 to join the Allied troops, THE BRIDGE, which starts on 25th June 2017, will celebrate a hundred years of friendship between France and the USA.
A hugely symbolic event and a major sporting challenge… The IDEC SPORT was obviously tempted and has joined the ranks of the boats, which next summer will do battle across the North Atlantic from East to West with the 345m long steel liner.
“The IDEC SPORT trimaran, using the wind and the ocean to move, represents the ideal link between France and the United States. With the IDEC SPORT team, we are proud to be taking part in THE BRIDGE,” explained Francis Joyon. With an incredible list of successes and solo ocean records with new routes, this pioneering figure will be one of the leading competitors in the fleet of Ultime trimarans in this fast dash to beat the cruise liner, which sails at a steady 26 knots.
2017 season: From the round the world record to a historic first across the Atlantic
While currently focusing on beating the outright round the world sailing record in the Jules Verne Trophy, Francis Joyon is pleased to be lining up with a top class international crew. This is a huge challenge for the crew of IDEC SPORT which set off on Sunday 20th November a year after their first attempt, when they came so close to beating the record time of 45 days and 13 hours. The weather however grew worse and as this is a key element in such attempts, their dash southwards was halted, forcing them to turn back as they approached the Equator. The 31m long trimaran is currently on her way back to Brest, which they should reach on Sunday with the aim of setting off again, as soon as more favourable conditions occur to allow them to join the Southern Hemisphere in record time.
