After setting the first round-the-world record with an all-female crew for the Jules Verne Trophy, French woman Alexia Barrier is extending her horizons once again by entering the 2026 Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe at the helm of the legendary IDEC SPORT – CIC.

As the first woman to compete in the ULTIM division she is set to write a new chapter in the race’s storied history.

Taking the helm of IDEC SPORT – CIC solo alongside the world’s best sailors and in the most demanding class in competitive sailing is a truly formidable challenge. Alexia Barrier will have to master the 32-meter trimaran which is capable of exceeding speeds of 40 knots.

It is an immense responsibility requiring perfect technical, physical, and mental mastery of a maxi-trimaran that is already a Route du Rhum legend, having crossed the finish line as the winner on three occasions: 2018 with Francis Joyon, 2014 with Loïck Peyron (Banque Populaire VII), and 2010 with Franck Cammas (Groupama 3).

Arrival of Alexia Barrier and her crew of The Famous Project CIC Dee Caffari, Annemieke Bes, Deborah Blair, Molly LaPointe, Támara Echegoyen, Stacey Jackson and Rebecca Gmür Hornell – aboard Maxi Trimaran IDEC Sport off Ouessant, after Jules Verne Trophy © Lloyd / Jmliot Images / CIC

By becoming the first woman to sail this ocean giant solo, Alexia Barrier joins the ranks of the greatest female sailors and writes a groundbreaking new chapter for the ULTIM class.

by La Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe