The Famous Project has announced their plans to circumnavigate the globe with an all-female team in collaboration with Swiss watch company Richard Mille. The ultimate objective is to beat the current world speed record for the Jules Verne Trophy, with the 10-person crew sailing on "the fastest maxi-trimaran in the world".
The 31.5-metre IDEC Sport is the same vessel that Francis Joyon skippered when he achieved the current record at 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds.
"This was my dream boat for this ambitious project which, outside of the sporting aspect, intends to give women the same tools as men to win such demanding races," said French sailor and founder Alexia Barrier. "The Famous Project is therefore a societal project that perfectly sums up our mantras: dare, dream, share."
Alexia Barrier is a skipper with more than 20 years of experience and 200,000 nautical miles travelled. This includes 18 transatlantic voyages, five of which were undertaken alone and a finish in the 2020-21 Vendée Globe.
Brand and partnerships director Amanda Mille added: "Richard Mille is taking a new step in its extraordinary commitments to adventure, combining excellence, technology and performance – the three cornerstones of the brand. The Famous Project is letting us write a new page in our history of commitments to women. Alexia Barrier’s clear desire to outdo herself regardless of the game truly won us over."
The first Jules Verne Trophy was awarded to the first yacht which sailed around the world in less than 80 days, with the award's name a reference to the Jules Verne novel Around the World in Eighty Days.
Competing boats must be propelled solely by the wind and the crew, though the trophy is open to any type of boat and any number of crew.
There have been 19 recorded attempts with nine teams having successfully broken the preceding record.
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