On Tuesday, 6th January, the crew of The Famous Project CIC rounded Cape Horn – the first all-female crew to accomplish this feat in a non-stop multihull race, marking a well-earned historic moment for the team.
Having entered the Pacific at the longitude of Tasmania on Boxing Day (26th December) the team reached Cape Horn in just under 11 days – a remarkably fast Pacific crossing. The passage was marked by 48 hours of exceptionally heavy weather, with waves exceeding eight metres and winds gusting above 50 knots. The crew’s growing confidence in handling the maxi trimaran was evident as they consistently logged more than 550 nautical miles per day.
“Every passage is unique and a blessing. I know that when we set out, not all sailors make it through, so when we do, it’s special. I’m fortunate that each of my passages has been distinctly different – solo, in a team, leading a team, downwind and upwind. This time, it’s with a crew of remarkable sailors aboard a very special boat, and the crossing was swift. The Southern Ocean proved very different from my previous experiences. It wasn’t as hostile as I’d anticipated, though the sea conditions were far from easy. On a maxi trimaran, sea state is paramount. This machine is built for speed, so managing it in difficult conditions was crucial. The other major difference is the boat’s high freeboard, which creates a sense of distance from the sea – resulting in far less spray and cold than I remember from previous voyages.
I’m delighted for the rookies aboard – they’re thrilled to have reached this milestone, and rightly so. It’s a considerable achievement. The challenge now is that there remain 7,000 nautical miles (as of 6th January) to the finish line, and the Atlantic can be unforgiving. It’s essential to remain focused and diligent through these final miles, even as we sail them with greater confidence and speed.
I believe Alexia and I are working well together and developing better command of the boat. I’m also identifying a few small adjustments we could make for enhanced safety and ease of handling. We’re increasingly confident in the boat’s configuration and control systems. As is often the case, having covered these miles, we’re now better prepared to race at full speed. This voyage has served as valuable training, and we’ll be more experienced and better prepared when we set off again.”
Over the weekend, a high-pressure system off the coast of Uruguay hindered progress, resulting in a full day of slow sailing punctuated by numerous gybes in search of wind. The exceptionally calm conditions allowed the crew to assess severe damage to their starboard foil – the same one that collided at high speed with a large fishing net earlier in the voyage. The foil is now unusable and has been raised to its highest position. Fortunately, as the maxi trimaran was designed in 2006 without foiling technology, the crew remain confident and will continue sailing with the port foil only for the remainder of the voyage.
With less than 5000 miles to the finish line, the next challenge will be navigating the Saint Helena high-pressure system off the coast of Brazil. Circumnavigating it to the west will require sailing as close-hauled as possible in very light north-northeasterly winds of approximately twelve knots.
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