By crossing the finish line between Ushant and Lizard Point after 40 days, 10 hours, and 45 minutes and 50 seconds at sea, Sodebo Ultim 3 became the fastest boat to sail around the world.

Thomas Coville, Benjamin Schwartz, Frédéric Denis, Pierre Leboucher, Léonard Legrand, Guillaume Pirouelle, and Nicolas Troussel were 12 hours and 44 minutes faster than the previous record, held by IDEC Sport since 2017. It took nine years and thirteen attempts, including three by Sodebo, for this iconic offshore racing record to be broken.

Thomas Colville and crew on Sodebo Ultim 3 off Ouessant, win the Jules Verne Trophy, a non-stop crewed round-the-world race, in Brest on Sunday 25th 2026 © Lloyd Images / Sodebo

The sailors were not spared by the conditions, having to lengthen their route in the South Atlantic, avoid icebergs in the Southern Ocean, and withstand Storm Ingrid as they approached the finish line. This did not prevent them, after a blistering start, from setting two records (Ushant-Equator and the Pacific Ocean) and establishing benchmark times at each cape (Good Hope, Leeuwin, and Horn). Beyond the sporting achievement, this adventure is above all a remarkable collective story, shared day after day and fueled by tremendous public enthusiasm. This historic feat celebrates the sense of teamwork, commitment, and loyalty demonstrated by Sodebo, a major player in offshore racing since 1998.

Patricia Brochard, co-chair of Sodebo:

“It’s an intense joy, a mix of relief and excitement. We’re surrounded by family, friends, partners, and many Sodebo employees. We’re very happy and very proud to share this moment with them, just as our sailors have done throughout their journey. It’s the culmination of the wonderful story we’ve been writing together for 27 years with Thomas (Coville). What we love is seeing men and women united around a common project, with unwavering determination. They’re demonstrating here what’s important to us every day in our company. They’ve moved forward together, they’ve grown together, just like our employees, who are highly motivated and committed to growing Sodebo.”

The voyage in figures: (other reference times)

Departure from Ouessant: Monday, December 15th at 9:01 PM
To beat the record, the crew must cross the line again before January 25, 2026 at 8:31 PM (French time).

Ouessant-equator
Crossing: Saturday, December 20th at 01:03:30 (French time)
Travel time: 4 days 4 hours 2 minutes 25 seconds*
Deviation from Spindrift (based on 4 days, 19 hours, 57 minutes at the equator) of 15 hours, 54 minutes, and 35 seconds
Difference with Idec Sport (based on 5 days 18h 59min) of 1 day 14h56min35s
Number of miles traveled: 3355 miles (6213 km)
Average speed since the start: 33.3 knots

Ouessant-Cape of Good Hope
Crossing the Cape of Good Hope: Friday, December 26, 2025 at 8:56:57 PM (French time)
Travel time: 10 days, 23 hours, 55 minutes, 52 seconds
Difference with the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild (11 days, 9 hours, 53 minutes in 2021): 9 hours, 56 minutes faster
Difference with Idec Sport (12 days, 19 hours, 28 minutes): 1 day, 19 hours, 31 minutes faster

Ouessant-Cape Leeuwin
Passage time at Leeuwin 22h18min 43s (French time) this Thursday, January 1, 2026
Travel time: 17 days, 1 hour, 17 minutes and 38 seconds
Gap to IDEC Sport (17 days, 6 hours, 59 minutes): 5 hours, 41 minutes, 22 seconds ahead of Idec
Number of miles traveled: 13,184 miles since the start
Average speed since the start: 32.1 knots

Tasmania (Southeast Cape)
Passage on January 3rd at 1:35 PM (French time) in 18 days, 16 hours, 34 minutes.
Gap to Idec: 1 hour 56 minutes ahead

Cape Horn
Passage time on January 11th at 01:47 (French time)
Travel time from Ushant to Cape Horn: 26 days, 4 hours, 46 minutes
Pacific crossing duration TASMANIA – HORN: 7 days, 12 hours, 12 minutes
Distance covered from Ouessant for Sodebo Ultim 3: 19781 miles (18332 for Idec in 2017)
Distance travelled further than IDEC: 1449 miles
Gap to Idec Sport (26 days, 15 hours, 45 minutes): 10 hours, 59 minutes ahead at Cape Horn

Pacific record (Tasmania-Cape Horn)
7 days, 12 hours, 12 minutes*
Difference with François Gabart (7 days 15 hours 20 minutes): 3 hours 7 minutes

Equator (return leg)
Crossing time on Monday, January 19th at 04:20 (French time)
Travel time since leaving Ushant: 34 days, 7 hours, and 19 minutes at sea
Travel time between Cape Horn and the equator: 8 days, 2 hours, and 20 minutes
Difference from Idec Sport (35 days, 4 hours, and 9 minutes in 2017): 20 hours and 49 minutes ahead at the equator crossing
Actual distance already covered: 24,639 nautical miles, or 45,631 km (22,707 nautical miles, or 42,053 km for Idec Sport in 2017, 6.8% more for Sodebo Ultim 3)
Speed difference: 29.9 knots average speed for Sodebo Ultim 3 since the start; Idec Sport was at 26.9 knots knots – 11% faster for the Sodeboys

*subject to WSSRC validation

Sodebo Ultim 3 crew for the Jules Verne Trophy:

Thomas Coville (57 years old) – Frédéric Denis (41 years old) – Pierre Leboucher (45 years old) – Léonard Legrand (31 years old) – Guillaume Pirouelle (31 years old) – Benjamin Schwartz (38 years old) – Nicolas Troussel (51 years old)

Thomas Colville and crew on Sodebo Ultim 3 off Ouessant, win the Jules Verne Trophy, a non-stop crewed round-the-world race, in Brest on Sunday 25th 2026 – photo © Lloyd Images / Sodebo

by Sodebo Ultim 3