The past week has presented a complex mix of challenges and triumphs for the crew of The Famous Project CIC.
Following a brief period of upwind sailing, they entered what they believe to be their final tack before reaching the finish line in Brest. A significant rise in temperatures enabled them to thoroughly dry both the boat’s interior and their personal belongings. As conditions became more comfortable and sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses reappeared on deck, spirits lifted considerably.
On 16th January, the crew crossed the Equator, re-entering the Northern Hemisphere. Having rounded Cape Horn in the mid-afternoon of 6th January, they reached the Equator in just 9 days, 5 hours, and 38 minutes—one of the fastest times ever recorded for this leg. While this milestone warranted celebration aboard, the team remained mindful of the challenging week ahead, navigating between the Azores high-pressure system and North Atlantic lows.
The doldrums lived up to their reputation, significantly hampering progress as the crew worked their way northward. When the powerful north-easterly trade winds finally arrived and sail reduction became necessary, the persistent issue with the mainsail hook once again proved problematic. The stubborn mechanism forced the team to undertake another complete dismantling and reassembly operation, inevitably impacting their speed and progress. During this delicate reefing manoeuvre on Saturday, they discovered a tear in the mainsail’s leach. Though repairs were swiftly executed, they remained limited to sailing under a double-reefed mainsail and J3. Combined with the navigation of sargassum algae fields, the home stretch is proving far from straightforward.
Nevertheless, the finish line is now firmly in sight, with fewer than 2,800 miles remaining.
You can follow The Famous Project CIC’s record attempt on the following platforms:
- The Famous Project CIC tracking map: https://thefamousproject.io/mapster-wp-map/tracking-theboat/
- Website: https://thefamousproject.io/
- The Famous Project CIC on social media: LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook