Historic All-Female Non-Stop Round-the-World Sail

The Famous Project crossed the Jules Verne Trophy finish line between Ushant and The Lizard at 1200hrs on 26 January 2026, completing a non-stop circumnavigation in 57d 22h 20m after departing on 29 November 2025, a passage logged against the standard route used for official round-the-world crewed attempts.

Voyage summary and key facts

The eight-person crew aboard The Famous Project sailed the former IDEC Sport, a 20-year-old non-foiling maxi trimaran, to complete a full, unassisted global circuit. The boat’s itinerary followed the conventional Jules Verne Trophy course: down the Atlantic, across the Southern Ocean, rounding Cape Horn and back north to the finish line off Brittany. Although the time does not supplant the current Jules Verne record, the passage establishes the first successful all-female non-stop circumnavigation and marks the first time an all-women team has completed the route on a maxi multihull.

Crew roster

• Alexia Barrier — skipper and expedition mastermind
• Dee Caffari — co-skipper
• Annemieke Bes
• Deborah Blair
• Molly LaPointe
• Támara Echegoyen
• Stacey Jackson
• Rebecca Gmür Hornell

Timeline and operational notes

Technical challenges and seamanship

Operating a two-decade-old maxi trimaran around the globe required continuous logistical vigilance. Early issues included steering and mainsail halyard problems that demanded in-voyage troubleshooting. A subsequent entanglement with commercial fishing gear caused delamination and irreparable damage to the starboard foil, reducing top-end speed and forcing the crew to adapt their routing and sail plan for endurance and reliability rather than outright pace. The most severe damage occurred when the mainsail tore nearly in half in heavy conditions; storm winds later shredded what remained of it, leaving the team to finish on headsails and a wingmast section.

Operational improvisation

• Repair and jury-rig techniques at sea for steering and halyard failures
• Removing a fishing net while the foil remained jammed in a down position
• Reconfiguring sail plans to cope with partial or absent mainsail in high winds

Historical context and significance

All-female attempts at this route have been rare: the only notable previous all-women Jules Verne challenge was Tracy Edwards’ Royal & Sun Alliance, which dismasted in the Southern Ocean. In total, only a small number of women—just 14 sailors historically—have attempted this circumnavigation. While the absolute Jules Verne record was broken almost concurrently by Thomas Coville and crew on Sodebo Ultim, The Famous Project sets a groundbreaking benchmark as the first successful all-female bid on a maxi multihull, and will likely influence how future campaigns are organised, crewed, and financed.

Legacy and career impact

Many members of the Famous Project have extensive offshore and maxi-multihull experience; the campaign consolidates tens of thousands of miles of ocean racing experience and will, in time, feed into training programs, mentoring networks, and commercial opportunities within the yachting sector.

Why this matters to the charter and rental market

Feats like this translate into wider interest in adventure yachting and inspire new generations to try sailing, skippered charters, and blue-water training packages. Demand signals from high-profile ocean campaigns can influence charter operators to invest in multihulls, safety equipment, and offshore-capable yachts. For those seeking crewed or skippered experiences, a visible demonstration of seamanship under duress reassures customers about professional standards and the resilience of charter operators.

GetBoat always keeps an eye on news related to sailing and seaside vacations, as we truly understand what it means to enjoy great leisure and love the ocean. The service values freedom, energy, and the ability to choose your own course; it places no limits on a good life, allowing clients to find a vessel that suits their preferences, budget, and taste.

Practical takeaways for renters and charterers

• Consider multihull stability and interior space when booking ocean-capable charters.
• Ask about maintenance history and emergency equipment—foils and standing rigging matter.
• Opt for experienced skippers and verified crew when planning offshore passages.
• Review vessel make, model, and ratings in advance to match activities and destinations.

Planning tips

For holidaymakers and adventure sailors, the story illustrates the importance of contingency planning: flexible itineraries, spare sail inventory, and operators with proven offshore competence reduce the risk that a voyage will be cut short by technical issues.

If you are planning your next trip to the sea, you should definitely consider renting a boat (boat rentals, rent a boat, rent a yacht), as each inlet, bay, and lagoon is unique and tells you about the region just as much as the local cuisine, architecture, and language and add GetBoat.com

Start planning your next seaside adventure: this milestone may nudge niche interest in expedition-style charters and multihull rentals rather than changing the global tourism map overnight; its influence is significant for the sailing community and incremental for mass tourism. However, it remains important to GetBoat to stay updated with developments and keep pace with a changing world. Start planning your next seaside adventure and make sure to book the best boat and yacht rentals with GetBoat before the opportunity sails away!

Summary: The Famous Project achieved a historic non-stop circumnavigation in 57d 22h 20m, overcoming steering failures, a fouled and lost foil, and catastrophic mainsail damage to become the first all-female crew to complete the Jules Verne course on a maxi multihull. The voyage reinforces lessons about equipment redundancy, offshore seamanship, and the appeal of adventure yachting for charter markets. For those looking to translate inspiration into action, platforms offering transparent listings—showing make, model, ratings and clear terms—make it easier to book the right yacht or charter. Discover the sea—Book now.

Final wrap-up: This achievement blends spectacle and seamanship: it highlights endurance, logistics, and the human factor in ocean racing while nudging interest in charters, yacht rentals, and experiential sailing. Whether you seek a calm bay to anchor or a blue-water adventure with a professional captain, the legacy of such endeavours filters into yacht sales, charter offerings, and marinas worldwide. From superyacht to small charter, from fishing trips to lake cruises, GetBoat.com supports a global, user-friendly solution for unforgettable touristic experiences—yacht, charter, boat, beach, rent, lake, sailing, captain, sale, Destinations, superyacht, activities, yachting, sea, ocean, boating, gulf, water, sunseeker, marinas, clearwater, fishing.