To cover over 22,000 miles, it took 40 days, 10 hours, 45 minutes, and 50 seconds: the new record was set by the crew led by Thomas Coville, Helly Hansen ambassador and skipper of the ocean trimaran Sodebo Ultim 3.
Jules Verne Trophy is considered the most extreme in the sailing’s world. Its distinctive trait lies in the almost total absence of rules: it is a circumnavigation of the world towards the East, with departure and arrival to Ouessant island, Brittany. The only real limitation is avoiding the dangerous iceberg areas around Antarctica. As for the rest, absolute freedom: any type of sailing boat and any crew can take on, as long as the sailing procedures are followed. From January 24 2026, Jules Verne Trophy has a new owner. The challenge has been conquered by the crew of the Sodebo Ultim 3, a modern and very fast trimaran of the Ultim lineup. At the helm a sailing icon: French skipper Thomas Coville, a man who does not need presentation and that can praise a resumé of ten cirmunnavigations, five of them completed solo. This victory only cements his name among the giants of the sport.
Sodebo Ultim 3 completed the challenge of sailing around the world in far less than eighty days imagined by the novelist after whom the trophy is entitled. The navigation began on December 15 for a total of 40 days, 10 hours, 45 minutes and 50 seconds, surpassing the previous 2017 record of 12 hours and 44 minutes set by Idec Sport. During its navigation around the world, the crew celebrated on board Christmas and New Year’s Eve, winning not only the Jules Verne Trophy, but also setting all new intermediate reference times at the Equator and at the passage of the three great ocean capes: the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin, and the legendary Cape Horn. This marks the tenth time a new record has been set, continuing a series that began in 1993 when Bruno Peyron, at the helm of Commodore Explorer, took 79 full days to complete the circumnavigation of the globe.
Everything in the Trophée Jules Verne is on a monumental scale. Starting with the number of nautical miles to be covered: theoretically 21,600 (over 40,000 kilometers), but in reality, the distance sailed is often much greater. And then there are the boats themselves: Sodebo Ultim 3 is a 32-meter-long, 23-meter-wide ocean-going Ultim-class trimaran, with a 34-meter mast supporting a sail area of 697 m² in its full configuration. A unique feature of these multihulls is their hydrofoils, the appendages many have come to know from recent America’s Cup editions, which lift the hull out of the water, drastically reducing drag. The performance is extraordinary: in light wind conditions, Sodebo Ultim 3 can sail at three times the speed of the wind, with top speeds approaching 50 knots—around 90 kilometers per hour.
Thomas Coville, skipper of Sodebo Ultim 3, is no stranger to this type of record. In 1997 and 2010, he already won the Trophée Jules Verne as a crew member on Sport-Elec and Groupama 3, respectively. In 2017, he also set the solo round-the-world record in just over 49 days (later broken by François Gabart). But the Trophée Jules Verne as skipper had been a long-term goal: this was his eighth attempt since 2016. In previous attempts, Coville was thwarted by equipment failures or unfavorable conditions. This time, everything aligned: a rapid descent across the Atlantic, where he gained over 1,500 miles on Idec, followed by a challenging passage through the Indian Ocean, where his lead was completely eroded, and then a safe transit of the Southern Ocean, where he regained the lead in the virtual race before extending it during the final leg back to Brittany.
Helly Hansen technical gear
During the record-breaking circumnavigation, the crew of Sodebo Ultim 3 relied on Helly Hansen’s technical gear. The Norwegian brand has partnered with some of the world’s best offshore sailors, including Thomas Coville, to develop the next evolution of its ocean collection: the Ægir Ocean Jacket 2.0 and Ægir Ocean Bib 2.0. For this new ocean kit, used by the Sodebo Ultim 3 crew to conquer the Trophée Jules Verne, a new ocean version of Helly Tech Professional fabric was developed—a three-layer laminate integrating a waterproof, breathable, and windproof multi-layer composite membrane. This updated version limits the use of chemicals harmful to both humans and the environment, which will be banned in North America and Europe in the coming years. Additionally, the outer fabric incorporates a significant percentage of recycled nylon, making it even stronger and more resilient to the harsh conditions of the open ocean. More information on Helly Hansen’s proprietary technologies and the Ægir ocean collection is available at hellyhansen.com.
(Jules Verne Trophy: Sodebo Ultim 3 breaks the world record– Barchemagazine.com – January 2026)
