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11:29 AM Sat 25 Apr 2009 GMT
 | | 'Thomas Coville (FRA) on maxi trimaran 'SODEBO' finishing Solo Sailing Round the World Record attempt. January 2009'
ThMartinez / Sea & Co © |
With the completion a long winter refit after a circumnavigation of the globe that quite naturally took its toll on both the boat and the skipper, the maxi-trimaran Sodeb'O will be tackling a brand new record campaign across the Atlantic in 2009.
'A round the world is a heck of an experience! Today we're keen to validate the choices and improvements we've made during this three month refit' explains Thomas. 'Since the record hunt intensified three or four years ago, the reference times have become increasingly difficult to beat. Records are a sporting discipline in their own right and the demand in terms of performance constantly goes up a notch. We also have the Route du Rhum in our sights for 2010, where there will be stiff competition. Sodeb'O is a good boat and, like any good boat, she must constantly move forward.'
In 2009, the programme is once again an ambitious one for Thomas Coville, who will attempt to beat two records on his 32 metre maxi-trimaran. On the menu, two single-handed transatlantic courses: the Discovery Route (attempt between May and June) and the North Atlantic (attempt between the end of June and mid August).
These two courses and their corresponding sailing conditions are something the skipper knows all too well. In 2005, he set a record time between Cadiz (Spain) and San Salvador (Bahamas), a time since beaten by Francis Joyon.
As for the North Atlantic, the skipper of Sodeb'O is the fastest solo sailor to date (in 5 days, 19 hours, 29 minutes and 20 seconds) between New York (USA) and Lizard Point (England). This summer, there will be three or four multihulls on standby in New York, some single-handed, others in crewed configuration. The maxi Sodeb'O will be on site from around 25th June.
www.sodebo-voile.com
by Kate Jennings Translation
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Mount Wellington, TAS
