The Famous Project CIC - the first all-female crew to sail non-stop, unassisted around the world

There was both celebration and relief for skipper Alexia Barrier and her crew as they crossed the finish line near Ushant after completing their lap of the globe on Monday 26th January in 57 days, 21 hours and 20 minutes. There were signs of the damage everywhere, with the starboard daggerboard strapped heavily, and the port helm position spray screen missing. The team have been through the wars, and the problems with the mainsail hook, which so almost stopped their voyage as they approached the Cape of Good Hope, being the most major in terms of performance. The mainsail eventually gave out in the North Atlantic, leaving them to sail the final 1000 miles with just the head of that sail hoisted on the boom and then their range of headsails. The conditions off Ushant were still horrendous for their arrival, with high seas left over from Storm Ingrid, and the team came in at pace, even with the reduced sail area. The team have proved incredibly resilient, despite all of the technical setbacks they’ve endured, and completing this first all-female non-stop circumnavigation sets the benchmark for challenges to come. The IDEC Sport trimaran they were on was the same on which Francis Joyon set the previous Jules Verne Trophy record, but that was nine years ago, and the legendary yacht is showing its age, and the team’s decision to slow down at the Azores to miss the worst of Storm Ingrid was, without doubt, the only sensible choice to achieve their goal of reaching the finish line. We take a look at the route they took, and also hear from Dee Caffari as to what their circumnavigation means. #sailing #roundtheworld #worldfirst