Trophee Jules Vernes - Overview
In 1985, the idea of circumnavigating the world in less than 80 days was formulated by a
sailor Yves Le Cornec. During the summer of 1990 a group of sailors assembled
in Paris to define the game plan for the challenge imagined by one of their peers.
The `80 days' were a pretext, both elegant and media-oriented, which happened to correspond
prefectly with the natural evolution of sailing events and the development of over 30 years
of ocean-racing. 100 days would be less significant, and 50 days today, would be a
technological impossibility.
On 31st January 1993, the catamarans Enza New Zealand skippered by
Peter Blake and Robin Knox-Johnston, and Commodore Explorer, skippered by
Bruno Peyron, were the first to challenge for the trophy. Enza New Zealand
retired due to a collision in the Indian Ocean on 26th February.
On 20th April 1993, Bruno Peyron and his team completed the challenge around the
world in 79 days, 6 hours, 15 minutes and 56 seconds, becoming the first
to win the "Trophee Jules Verne"
Enza New Zealand and the trimaran Lyonaisse des Eaux skippered by Olivier de Kersauson, left early 1994 (?) in an attempt to break the record. After some grueling racing, Enza New Zealand set a new record at 74 days (and some hours ...). Lyonaisse des Eaux also broke the original record by about 3 days.
Early 1997, Olivier de Kesauson set out again on the same (but improved) trimaran, this time sponsored by Sport-Elec. Again the record was shattered, and is now standing at 71 days 14hrs 18min 8sec
Early 1998, Tracy Edwards and her all female crew set out to break this record.
They are racing on Peter Blake's modified catamaran, now sponsored by Royal & Sunalliance
