A New Benchmark at Sea: Sodebo Ultim 3 Rewrites the Jules Verne Story
On January 26, 2026, the 32-meter maxi-trimaran Sodebo Ultim 3, under the command of French skipper Thomas Coville, secured its place in sailing history with a breathtaking achievement: a fully crewed, non-stop circumnavigation completed in just 40 days, 10 hours, 45 minutes, and 50 seconds. This remarkable passage now stands as the fastest time ever recorded for the legendary Jules Verne Trophy, a benchmark long regarded as one of ocean racing’s most demanding and prestigious challenges.
More than a victory measured in hours and minutes, the record reflects the extraordinary evolution of modern offshore trimarans—where advanced foiling design, relentless precision, and seamless teamwork converge to push the boundaries of what is possible at sea. Coville and his crew did not simply beat the clock; they redefined the tempo of round-the-world sailing, proving once again that the pursuit of speed across the open ocean remains one of the purest expressions of maritime ambition.
As with every great milestone in sailing, this new reference point is both an ending and a beginning: a record to celebrate today, and a horizon that will inevitably call the next generation to go faster still.
