Skip to content
Surf Wiki
Save to docs
general/awards-established-in-1990

From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

Jules Verne Trophy

Prize for fastest around-the-world yacht trip

Jules Verne Trophy

Prize for fastest around-the-world yacht trip

The Trophy, displayed at the National Maritime Museum, Paris

The Jules Verne Trophy is a prize for the fastest circumnavigation of the world by any type of yacht with no restrictions on the size of the crew provided the vessel has registered with the organization and paid an entry fee. A vessel holding the Jules Verne trophy will not necessarily hold the absolute round the world record. The trophy was first awarded to the first yacht which sailed around the world in less than 80 days. The name of the award is a reference to the Jules Verne novel Around the World in Eighty Days in which Phileas Fogg traverses the planet (albeit by railroad and steamboat) in 80 days. The current holder is Sodebo Ultim 3 skippered by Thomas Coville in 40 days 10 hours 45 minutes 50 seconds in 2026.

Route

  • The Jules Verne Trophy's starting point is defined by a line between the Créac'h lighthouse on Ouessant (Ushant) Island, France, and the Lizard Lighthouse, UK. The boats have to circumnavigate the world leaving the capes of Good Hope, Leeuwin, and Horn to port and cross the starting line in the opposite direction.
  • The starting line is open as of the official ratification of the trophy's rules by the World Sailing Speed Record Council.

Rules

The Jules Verne Trophy is awarded to the challenger who breaks the previous Jules Verne record of the round the world voyage under sail. The winner holds the trophy until such time as his/her record has been bettered. The boats must solely be propelled by natural forces of the wind and of the crew, but the trophy is open to any type of boat with no restrictions. Crew size is not restricted either. The circumnavigation must be completed non-stop and with no physical outside assistance, although on-shore weather routing is allowed. The challengers must respect certain safety rules.

History

The original idea for this competition has been attributed to Yves Le Cornec in 1985. The rules were defined in 1990. A committee was put in place to guarantee respect of the rules and fairplay. This committee included Peter Blake, Florence Arthaud, Jean-François Coste, Yvon Fauconnier, Gabrie Guilly, Robin Knox-Johnston, Titouan Lamazou, Yves Le Cornec, Bruno Peyron, Olivier de Kersauson, and Didier Ragot.

While the current holder of the trophy, Francis Joyon, also holds the around the world sailing record, this has not always been the case. In 2004 Steve Fossett broke the world record with the catamaran Cheyenne but was not awarded the trophy. According to reports, the trophy organizers requested a higher entrance fee from Fossett than from the other competitors, the difference which he refused to pay (€30,000 upfront versus €11,000 & only needed to pay if they won the trophy). The winner of the trophy that year was Olivier de Kersauson on Geronimo, with a time which was five days slower than Fossett's world record.

Summary of intermediate records

PassageDateTimeSkipperCrewBoat
Ushant-Equator20194 d 19 h 57 minYann Guichard14 people Maxi Spindrift 2
Equator-Cape Agulhas20215 d 20 h 39 minFranck Cammas6 people :fr:Maxi Edmond de Rothschild
Indian Ocean WSSRC20165 d 21 h 09 minFrancis Joyon6 people IDEC sport
Pacific Ocean WSSRC20177 d 15 h 15 minFrançois Gabartsinglehanded Macif
Cape Horn-Equator20176 d 22 h 15 minFrançois Gabartsinglehanded Macif
Equator-Ushant20175 d 19 h 21 minFrancis Joyon6 people IDEC sport

The best passage times are shared between 4 boats:

    • Banque Populaire V *, designed in 2006, launched in 2008 and renamed "Maxi Spindrift 2" in 2013
    • Groupama 3 *, designed in 2004, launched in 2006 and renamed * IDEC sport * in 2015
    • Macif *, designed in 2013, launched in 2015 and since then mainly singlehanded by François Gabart
    • :fr:Maxi Edmond de Rothschild * designed in 2014, launched in 2017

Adding the record times of the various intermediate routes, gives a total record round the world in 36 days 22 hours and 36 minutes, or 4 days better than the record established in 2017 by Francis Joyon on * IDEC sport *.

2016 record

Francis Joyon took possession of the former Groupama 3 on October 2, 2015, after three weeks of work at Multiplast, in Vannes. He chose an intermediate configuration between the initial power and a reduced rigging for solo races. Closer to the lightness and ergonomics sought alone, less versatile in particular in light winds, Joyon's choices paid off during his two passages in the southern seas at the end of 2015 and again at the end of 2016, earning him numerous records. With a crew reduced to six people, * IDEC Sport * was ready to attempt the Jules-Verne Trophy, held since 2011 by Loïck Peyron with a time of 45 days, 13 hours, 42 minutes and 53 seconds.

After an attempt in November 2016 met with unfavorable weather in the doldrums and the South Atlantic, and a shock that slightly damaged her fin, Joyon set out again on December 16, 2016 to conquer the trophy. He arrived on January 26, 2017 with a new around the world sailing record of 40 days 23 h 30 min 30 s. During their 2016 attempt for the Jules-Verne Trophy, Francis Joyon and his crew broke numerous intermediate records: four have been formalized and are the subject of records duly certified by the WSSRC.

They made quick crossings of the southern seas starting with the Indian Ocean, covering 8091,73 miles in 10 days (an average of 809 miles per day). This episode began ahead of the front of a depression which moved at a speed corresponding to the boat's potential from South America to the Pacific Ocean. During 12 days, the wind remained port tack, blowing constantly at over 30 knots, an ideal configuration for speed records. Top speeds varied between 38 and 44 knots. Due to bad seas, their speed dropped temporarily (29 knots or 700 mi per day) but soon climbed back above 800 mi daily.

After passing New Zealand and the Antimeridian, sailing port tack 205 degrees longitude (25 degrees West to Antimeridian) in the southern seas, the crew jibed in the transition between two depressions, and managed to catch up with the weather system in front of them over the Pacific Ocean, setting off again at more than 30 knots daily average towards Cape Horn.

Joyon rounded Cape Horn, 16 days after hitting the first left South America, after a course of nearly 12000 mi above 30 knots average (730, 16 miles per day over 16 days). He then signs a performance increase of 30 to 40% compared to Loïck Peyron's record 5 years earlier. Leaving the southern seas with a lead of 4 days 6 hours 35 min over Peyron's previous record, Joyon and his crew regained 2800 mi on the record during this stretch.

The weather conditions allowed them to optimize their course, covering 26412 mi on the ground, at an average of 26.85 knots, for a theoretical course of 22461 mi. Banque Populaire V, the previous recordholder, had to cover almost 2600 more miles (29,002 miles).

Distance records broken during the 2016 campaign

While the best day of Loïck Peyron's previous record was the only day above 800 miles from his record (811 miles over 24 hours, or 33.79 knots average), Francis Joyon maintains a speed above 800 daily miles for 10 consecutive days.

It thus improves a large number of progress records by a sailboat over a given period:

SkipperReferenceDistance (miles)speed (knots)speed (miles/24 h)
Joyonbest 24h89437,3894
best 48 h1 748,236,42874,1
best 72 h2 617,736,36872,57
best 4 days3 477,436,22869,35
Joyonbest 5 days4 312,5735,94862,51
best 6 days5 104,1635,45850,7
best 8 days6 525,1433,99815,64
best 10 days8 091,7333,71809,17
best 12 days9 369,0332,53780,75
Joyonbest 16 days11 682,6230,42730,16

Other records broken during the 2016 campaign

  • Boat record and the second longest distance covered by a sailboat in 24 hours with 894 miles.
  • 6 consecutive days at an average of 850.7 miles / 24 h (35.45 knots)
  • Ushant-Cape Leeuwin 17 d 06 h 59 min 45 (time of Loïck Peyron during the 2011 record: 17 d 23 h 57 min)
  • Ushant-Tasmania 18 d 18 h 31 min (time of Loïck Peyron during the 2011 record: 20 d 07 h 11 min)
  • Ushant-Antiméridien 20 d 07 h 01 (time of Loïck Peyron during the 2011 record: 22 d 11 h 34 min)
  • Ushant-Cape Horn: 26 d 15 h 45 min (time of Loïck Peyron during the 2011 record: 30 d 22 h 19 min)
  • Equator – Cape Leeuwin: 11 d 12 h (time of Loïck Peyron during the 2011 record: 12 d 9 h 2 min)
  • Cape Agulhas-cape Leeuwin in 4 days 9 h 37 min 46 at an average speed of 35.08 knots over ground (3,705 miles) or 842 miles in 24 hours (6 days 8 min or 36% more for Loïck Peyron's previous record)
  • Cape Leeuwin – Cape Horn in 9 d 08 h 46 min (12 d 22 h 22 min or 38% more for Loïck Peyron's previous record)
  • Cape of Good Hope – Cape Horn in 13 d 20 h 13 min (19 d 00 h 31 min or 37% more for Loïck Peyron's previous record)
  • Cape of Good Hope – Cape Leeuwin: 4 d 11 h 31 min (6 d 02 h 09 min or 36% more for Loïck Peyron's previous record in 2011)
  • Cap Leeuwin – Cape Horn in 9 d 08 h 46 min (12 d 22 h 22 min or 38% more for Loïck Peyron's previous record)
  • Indian Ocean: 5 d 21 h 7 min 45 s (WSSRC reference) (8 d 07 h 23 min or 41% more for Loïck Peyron during the 2011 record)
  • Pacific Ocean: 7 d 21 h 13 min 31 s (WSSRC reference) (10 d 15 h 07 min or 39% more for Loïck Peyron during the 2011 record)
  • Equator-Equator record: 29 d 9 h 10 min 55 s (WSSRC reference) (32 d 11 h 52 min or 11% more for Loïck Peyron during the 2011 record)
  • North Atlantic return record: 5 d 19 h 21 min (7 d 10 h 58 min or 25% more for Loïck Peyron during the 2011 record)

Jules Verne Trophy records

!Year!!Skipper!!Yacht!!Type!!Time |- |2026||FRA Thomas Coville||Sodebo Ultim 3||Trimaran||style="background:#ffffbf;|40 days 10 hours 45 minutes 30 seconds |- |2017||FRA Francis Joyon||IDEC Sport||Trimaran|||40 days 23 hours 30 minutes 50 seconds |- |2012||FRA Loïck Peyron||Banque Populaire V||Trimaran||45 days 13 hours 42 minutes 53 seconds |- |2010||FRA Franck Cammas||Groupama 3||Trimaran||48 days 7 hours 44 minutes 52 seconds |- |2005||FRA Bruno Peyron||Orange II||Catamaran||50 days 16 hours 20 minutes 4 seconds{{cite web |access-date = 2008-02-19 }}{{cite web

access-date = 2009-11-11 }}
2004
-
2002
-
1997
-
1994
NZ Peter Blake
-
1993
-

Notable performances

During her Jules-Verne trophy record in 2011–2012, the Banque Populaire V skippered by Loïck Peyron covered 811.70 nautical miles in 24 hours on 3 December 2011 at 11:45 UT, posting 28 days over 600 miles, including 9 days over 700 miles and 1 day over 800 miles.

During her Jules-Verne trophy record in 2009–2010, the trimaran Groupama 3 skippered by Franck Cammas covered 798 nautical miles in 24 hours on 13 February 2010 at 5 p.m. UT, showing 17 days over 600 miles, including 10 days over 700 miles.

During her Jules-Verne trophy record in 2016–2017, the trimaran Idec sport skippered by Francis Joyon covered 894 nautical miles in 24 hours, and 10 consecutive days at 809 miles / 24 h. Francis Joyon rounds Cape Horn, 16 days after riding off of South America, and after a course of nearly 12,000 miles above an average of 30 knots (730.16 miles / 24 h over 16 days). He then signs a performance increase of between 30 and 40% compared to the record to be broken by Loïck Peyron 5 years earlier. Leaving the southern seas with a lead of 4 j 06 h 35 min over Loïck Peyron's previous record, Francis Joyon and his crew regained the equivalent of 2,800 miles on the record during this episode.

During the aborted attempt of 2019, Yann Guichard sets a new record crossing the equator in 4 days 19 h 57 min and, thanks to favorable weather conditions, lines up 4,812.1 miles from the 11th to 16th day, or 802 miles / day for 6 consecutive days.

During his record around the world Singlehanded in 2017, 24 hour distance record for François Gabart on Macif: 850,68 miles in 24h.

During his attempt for the Jules Verne Trophy on December 5, 2020, Thomas Coville on :fr:Sodebo Ultim 3 covered 889.9 miles in 24 hours (37.1 knots average, top speed 48.9 knots).

During his attempt for the Jules Verne Trophy on December 21, 2024, François Gabart on SVR-Lazartigue covered 892.2 miles in 24 hours (37.2 knots average, top speed over 50 knots).

Passage records

SkipperDateEquatorGoodCapeCapeTasmaniaAntiCape HornEquatorUshant
Thomas Coville20254 d 04 h 02 min10 d 23 h 55 min11 d 03 h 10 min17 d 1 h 17 min18 d 16 h 34 min20 d 10 h 54 min26 d 4 h 46 min
Thomas Coville20245 d 03 h 21 min11 d 15 h 11 min11 d 18 h 34 minresign on day 16 (rudder failure)
Franck Cammas20215 d 13 h 14 min11 d 09 h 53 min11 d 14 h 03 minresign on day 13 (rudder failure)
Thomas Coville20205 d 09 h 50 min12 d 02 h 05 min12 d 03 h 45 minresign on day 16 (rudder failure)
Yann Guichard20194 d 19 h 57 min12 d 13 h 02 min12 d 14 h 52 minresign on day 16 (rudder failure)
Francis Joyon20165 d 18 h 59 min12 d 19 h 28 min12 d 21 h 22 min17 d 06 h 59 min18 d 18 h 31 min20 d 07 h 04 min26 d 15 h 45 min35 d 04 h 09 min40 d 23 h 30 min
Loïck Peyron20115 d 14 h 55 min11 d 21 h 48 min11 d 23 h 49 min17 d 23 h 57 min20 d 07 h 11 min22 d 11 h 34 min30 d 22 h 19 min38 d 02 h 46 min45 d 13 h 42 min
Yann Guichard20154 d 21 h 29 min11 d 22 h 04 min12 d 00 h 02 min18 d 11 h 25 min20 d 04 h 37 min22 d 07 h 43 min30 d 04 h 07 min39 d 13 h 31 min47 d 10 h 59 min
Francis Joyon20155 d 05 h 01 min13 d 05 h 11 min13 d 09 h 15 min18 d 20 h 37 min20 d 08 h 18 min22 d 09 h 48 min31 d 01 h 47 min40 d 14 h 53 min47 d 14 h 47 min
Franck Cammas20095 d 15 h 23 min14 d 13 h 31 min14 d 15 h 48 min21 d 14 h 22 min22 d 20 h 27 min25 d 07 h 36 min32 d 04 h 34 min41 d 21 h 09 min48 d 07 h 44 min
Bruno Peyron20057 d 02 h 56 min14 d 05 h 21 min14 d 08 h 19 min21 d 13 h23 d 19 h 23 min25 d 21 h 33 min32 d 13 h 29 min40 d 19 h 05 min50 d 16 h 20 min
O. de Kersauson20036 d 11 h 26 min16 d 14 h 35 min26 d 04 h 53 min31 d 22 h 53 min41 d 16 h 27 min53 d 09 h 37 min68 d 01 h 58 min
Bruno Peyron20027 d 22 h18 d 18 h 40 min29 d 07 h 22 min34 d 09 h 20 min42 d 02 h 52 min53 d 04 h 49 min64 d 08 h 37 min

Intermediate records

SkipperDateEquatorGood HopeCape LeeuwinCape HornEquator
Franck Cammas20095 d 20 h 39 min
Thomas Coville20206 d 16 h 15 min
Yann Guichard20197 d 17 h 11 min
Francis Joyon20167 d 00 h 29 min4 d 11 h 31 min9 d 08 h 46 min8 d 12 h 24 min5 d 19 h 21 min
Loïck Peyron20116 d 06 h 53 min6 d 02 h 09 min12 d 22 h 22 min7 d 04 h 27 min7 d 10 h 58 min
Yann Guichard20157 d 00 h 35 min6 d 13 h 21 min12 d 06 h 03 min9 d 09 h 24 min7 d 21 h 28 min
Francis Joyon20158 d 04 h 10 min5 d 15 h 26 min12 d 05 h 10 min9 d 13 h 06 min6 d 23 h 56 min
Franck Cammas20097 d 02 h 23 min7 d 00 h 51 min10 d 14 h 12 min9 d 16 h 35 min6 d 10 h 44 min
Bruno Peyron20057 d 05 h 23 min7 d 07 h 39 min12 d 00 h 29 min8 d 05 h 36 min9 d 21 h 15 min
Bruno Peyron200211 d 01 h 57 min11 d 03 h 48 min
SkipperDateGood HopeEquatorEquatorCape HornIndian Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Francis Joyon201613 d 20 h 13 min29 d 09 h 10 min20 d 20 h 46 min14 d 07 h 45 min5 d 21 h 09 min
Loïck Peyron201119 d 00 h 31 min32 d 11 h 51 min25 d 07 h 23 min14 d 15 h 25 min8 d 07 h 23 min
Yann Guichard201518 d 06 h 03 min34 d 08 h 02 min25 d 06 h 38 min17 d 06 h 54 min8 d 04 h 45
Francis Joyon201517 d 20 h 36 min35 d 13 h 52 min26 d 00 h 46 min16 d 13 h 02 min7 d 00 h 00
Franck Cammas200917 d 15 h 03 min36 d 02 h 03 min26 d 09 h 27 min16 d 03 h 19 min8 d 17 h 39 min
Bruno Peyron200518 d 08 h 08 min33 d 16 h 06 min25 d 10 h 33 min18 d 02 h 39 min9 d 11 h 04 min
O. de Kersauson200325 d 01 h 52 min
Bruno Peyron200223 d 08 h 12 min22 d 05 h 45 min

Failed record attempts

YearSkipperYachtTypeNotes
2021FRA Franck CammasGitana 17Trimaranrudder failure, 13 days after departure, south east of Cape Agulhas.
2020FRA Thomas Coville:fr:Sodebo Ultim 3Trimaranrudder failure, 16 days after departure, south east of Kerguelen islands.
2020FRA Franck CammasGitana 17TrimaranBroken foil, Cape Verde 3 days after departure.
2019FRA Yann GuichardSpindrift 2
formerly Banque Populaire VTrimaranRudder problem, about 50 miles West of Porto, Portugal on December 4, 2019 after 23 hours from departure.
2016FRA Francis JoyonIDEC 3
formerly Banque Populaire VII and Groupama 3TrimaranTurned around after one week due to weather window did not evolve as forecasted
2015FRA Francis JoyonIDEC 3
formerly Banque Populaire VII and Groupama 3Trimaran47 days 14 hours 47 minutes, record not broken, crossed the finish line on January 8, 2016
2015FRA Yann Guichard
SUI Dona BertarelliSpindrift 2
formerly Banque Populaire VTrimaran47 days 10 hours 59 minutes, record not broken, crossed the finish line on January 8, 2016
2011FRA Pascal BidégorryBanque Populaire VTrimaranDamaged centerboard, west of the Cape of Good Hope
2009FRA Franck CammasGroupama 3Trimaran
2008FRA Franck CammasGroupama 3TrimaranLoss of leeward float leading to capsize, New Zealand
2004FRA Bruno PeyronOrange IICatamaranDamaged starboard hull, Cap Verde islands
2004FRA Bruno PeyronOrange IICatamaranDamaged starboard crashbox, Spain
2004FRA Olivier de KersausonGeronimoTrimaranDamaged gennaker, North Atlantic
2003FRA Olivier de KersausonGeronimoTrimaranCircumnavigation achieved, record not broken
2003UK Ellen MacArthurKingfisher 2
(formerly Orange)CatamaranBroken mast, South-East Kerguelen Islands
2002FRA Olivier de KersausonGeronimoTrimaranDamaged rudder, Brazil
2002FRA Bruno PeyronOrange
(formerly Innovation Explorer)CatamaranDamaged mast, Ouessant
1998UK Tracy EdwardsRoyal et SunAlliance
(formerly ENZA New Zealand)CatamaranBroken mast, Southern seas
1996FRA Olivier de KersausonSport-ElecTrimaranExcessive delay
1995FRA Olivier de KersausonSport-Elec
(formerly Lyonnaise des Eaux)TrimaranExtreme weather
1994FRA Olivier de KersausonLyonnaise des Eaux
(formerly Charal)TrimaranCircumnavigation achieved, record not broken
1993NZ Peter Blake
UK Robin Knox-JohnstonENZA New ZealandCatamaranDamaged hull, Indian Ocean
1993FRA Olivier de KersausonCharalTrimaranDamaged outrigger hull, South of Cape Town

The trophy

[[Jules Verne

The "Trophy Jules Verne" was the subject of a public order of the visual arts delegation with the American artist Tom Shannon and is patroned by the French Ministry of Culture.

The work is a floating hull on a magnetic field, much as an anchorage for a ship. All dimensions have rigorous symbolic meaning. The midship beam of the hull corresponds to the diameter of the Earth, the ray of each end is proportional to that of the moon and the radius of the curvature of the frames is that of the sun. The competitors of the Trophy Jules Verne race around the Earth against time, with only the sun and the moon as companions and time keepers.

The sculpture is placed on a cast aluminium base, on which the names of the sailors having won the Trophy are engraved. The Musée national de la Marine in Paris hosts and maintains the Trophy. Each winner receives a miniature of the Trophy, magnetized like the original one.

When a record is broken, an official ceremony is held for the previous record holders to hand over the trophy to the new record holders, who are given the hull and must place it in its magnetic field mooring.

References

References

  1. "Rules".
  2. Bunting, Elaine. (2012-01-09). "The strange story of the Jules Verne Trophy". Yachting World.
  3. "Launch of the maxi-trimaran IDEC Sport: the Jules Verne Trophy is becoming clearer for Francis Joyon".
  4. Dominic Bourgeois. (October 14, 2015). "Joyon: objective three days less!".
  5. (January 26, 2017). "Flash arrival Maxi Trimaran IDEC SPORT".
  6. (26 January 2017). "Flash arrival Maxi Trimaran IDEC SPORT".
  7. François Lombard. "Records established for the Jules Verne Trophy".
  8. "Thomas Coville Record".
  9. "Francis Joyon – IDEC Sport".
  10. WSSR Council. (2010-03-26). "WSSR Newsletter No 182".
  11. "Trophy Jules-Verne, Partials and statistics".
  12. "WSSR Newsletter No 296. MACIF. Singlehanded 24 hour record 07/01/18".
  13. "La cartographie du Trophée Jules Verne".
  14. "''summary December 20-21-22 2024, 37,2 knots for 24h''".
  15. "Trophée Jules-Verne – Tentative d'Olivier de Kersauson / Geronimo – 2003".
  16. (November 27, 2016). "Trophée Jules-Verne : Francis Joyon (IDEC Sport) et son équipage font demi-tour à cause des conditions de navigation".
  17. [http://www.idecsport-sailing.com/idec-sport-completes-the-adventure-after-47-days-14-hours-and-47-minutes/ IDEC completes circumnavigation]
  18. [http://sport24.lefigaro.fr/voile/trophee-jules-verne/actualites/guichard-et-spindrift-2-bouclent-la-boucle-sans-frustration-786333 Spindrift arrival]
  19. (2011-02-05). "Banque Populaire forced to retire". sail-world.
  20. Team Groupama Website. (2009-11-16). "Damage, destination Cape Town".
  21. Team Groupama Website. (2008-02-18). "Groupama 3 capsizes in the Pacific ocean".
  22. Stuart Alexander. (1993-04-21). "Sailing: Peyron's prizeless moment: Stuart Alexander on the round-the-world sailor who returned home to find the trophy cupboard was bare". [[The Independent]].
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about Jules Verne Trophy — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report