Paris (AFP)

A boat that slides and pierces the water: it is with this + flying + machine that Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier (Maxi Edmond de Rothschild) will tackle the Jules Verne Trophy in the fall and try to become the first to do so. around the planet in less than 40 days.

The tandem, accompanied by four team members, gave themselves a nice trial run by winning the Drheamp Cup on Tuesday, a race from Cherbourg (Manche) to Trinité-sur-Mer (Morbihan) via England and France. Ireland, in less than 2 days.

"We sailed at very high average speeds, above 40 knots (74 km / h), we hadn't had that over long periods. There was a feeling of ease in going fast, the boat was piercing, a impression that it is slipping. We gain confidence, "Caudrelier told AFP.

A good development three months from their goal. “There are ulterior motives, we think of the Jules Verne Trophy when there are six of us on board,” says Cammas.

The 47-year-old sailor knows the flavor of going around the world as quickly as possible, and of being the first to pass under a mythical bar.

In 2010, with 9 team members (Groupama 3), he won the Jules Verne Trophy by going down under 50 days (48 days 7 hours). This time, he has in his sights the 40 days and 23 hours established in 2017 by Francis Joyon and 5 other sailors (Idec).

- Within 40 days -

"Franck was the first to go below 50 days, we gain 10 days, 1 day per year, we will go below 40!", Laughs Cyril Dardashti, head of Team Gitana (racing team large Edmond de Rothschild.

"To have this Trophy is the dream of any offshore racing team", he adds while in 140 years of sailing history, the shipowner Edmond de Rothschild has never chased this record.

"We never had the boat for that. Today we are ready. It's the luck we have with this boat," said Dardashti.

This boat belongs to the Ultime category, the largest offshore racing multihulls. They are maxi-trimarans of around thirty meters in length, equipped with 'foils', appendages which raise the central hull and the floats above the water to get away at high speed.

The Maxi Edmond de Rothschild was launched in July 2017 and after damage on the Transat Jacques Vabre in October 2017 and on the Route du Rhum in November 2018, it is impressive.

"Basically, these are boats that are made to break records," recalls Caudrelier, victorious in 2018 in the crewed round the world race with stopovers (Volvo Ocean Race). "There is really a challenge and in flying mode it has never happened".

Cammas and Caudrelier will go on stand-by from November 1 to choose the best weather window to chase the record with a team that is not yet fully defined but that will not exceed 8 people on board.

Their weather advice will be none other than Marcel van Triest, the Dutchman who had guided Joyon over the 40 days.

And the tandem will not be alone to wait for the green light to leave. Thomas Coville (Sodebo Ultim 3) and his brand new boat + steering wheel + will also be in the starting blocks to collect the Jules Verne Trophy.

© 2020 AFP