The Famous Project becomes first all-female crew to sail non-stop and unassisted around the world as they complete their Jules Verne Trophy bid
\nBREST, FRANCE – JANUARY 26 : Arrival of Alexia Barrier and his crew of The Famous Project CIC Dee Caffari, Annemieke Bes, Deborah Blair, Molly LaPointe, T\u00e1mara Echegoyen, Stacey Jackson and Rebecca Gm\u00fcr Hornell \u2013 aboard the Maxi Trimaran IDEC Sport off Ouessant, after the Jules Verne Trophy, a non-stop crewed round-the-world race, in Brest on January 26, 2026. Photo \u00a9 Lloyd \/ Jmliot Images \/ CICToday, Monday 26 January 2026, the eight-person crew aboard The Famous Project became the first all-female team to sail non-stop around the world.
\nCrossing the finish line between Ushant and the Lizard at 1200hrs, The Famous Project completed their non-stop circumnavigation in 57d 22h 20m after setting off on 29 November, 2025. This does not break any existing official records for the Jules Verne Trophy, but sets a groundbreaking benchmark time as the first successful all-female bid to complete the course.
\nAlexia Barrier and crew of The Famous Project CIC: Dee Caffari, Annemieke Bes, Deborah Blair, Molly LaPointe, T\u00e1mara Echegoyen, Stacey Jackson and Rebecca Gm\u00fcr Hornell. Photo: Lloyd \/ Jmliot Images \/ CIC
\nThis is also the first time an all-female crew has sailed a maxi multihull around the world. The only previous all-female attempt on the record -\u2013 Tracy Edwards\u2019 Royal & Sun Alliance \u2013 dismasted in the Southern Ocean. In total just 14 female sailors have ever attempted a Jules Verne Trophy circumnavigation.
\nThe Famous Project was masterminded and skippered by former Vend\u00e9e Globe sailor Alexia Barrier, together with British co-skipper Dee Caffari, and an international crew of Annemieke Bes, Rebecca Gm\u00fcr Hornell, Deborah Blair, Molly LaPointe, T\u00e1mara Echegoyen and Stacey Jackson.
\nThey were sailing the former Idec Sport, the previous holder of the Jules Verne Trophy record at 40d 23h 30m \u2013 a record which was broken only yesterday by Thomas Coville and crew on Sodebo Ultim.
\nThe Famous Project\u2019s challenge
\nIdec Sport is a non-foiling maxi trimaran, and now a 20-year-old design. From the outset the crew were faced with gear troubles \u2013 including steering issues and mainsail halyard problems.
\nLater an entanglement with fishing gear caused damage and delamination to their starboard foil, so the team continued for the second half of their round the world voyage with the foil out of use. \u201c\u201cWe went from 30 knots to 5 knots!\u201d Alexia described the incident. \u201cWe put the boat in reverse and were able to remove the large net, but the foil remained stuck in the down position for a while.\u201d It later transpired that the foil had been damaged beyond repair.
\nTheir biggest blow came in late January, when their mainsail tore in half in strong winds. Although they managed to secure it to the second reefing point, 45-knot winds in Storm Ingrid further shredded the damaged sail, leaving them with little more than a headboard and the wingmast, plus headsails, for the final miles.
\nUnder barely any mainsail, The Famous Project CIC aboard the IDEC Sport crosses the finish line off Ouessant after completing their Jules Verne Trophy non-stop crewed round-the-world record bid, in Brest on January 26, 2026. Photo: Lloyd \/ Jmliot Images \/ CIC
\nDespite being behind the outright record from early on their circumnavigation, and seeking shelter in the lee of islands at several points, the team never once suggested they were considering retiring. Though the bid has attracted some critics, their goal was unwavering: to become the first all-female Jules Verne Trophy challengers, and to set a benchmark time for the next.
\nMany of the Royal & Sun Alliance crew went on to become leading figures in ocean racing, and tens of thousands of collective miles of maxi multihull oceans racing experience have now been gained by the Famous Project crew.
\nThe Famous Project\u2019s Alexia Barrier and Dee Caffari,embrace after finishing the Jules Verne Trophy on January 26, 2026. Photo: Lloyd \/ Jmliot Images \/ CIC
\nHistory makers
\nShortly before the finish, Dee Caffari posted a quote by former US President Theodore Roosevelt on Facebook: \u201cIt is not the critic who counts; not the one who points out how the strong woman [Dee\u2019s edit] stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
\n\u201cThe credit belongs to the woman who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds..
\n\u201cWho knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends herself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if she fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that her place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.\u201d
\nSee more at thefamousproject.io and we\u2019ll report further when we hear from the crew.
\nThe post The Famous Project becomes first all-female crew to sail non-stop around the world appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Famous Project becomes first all-female crew to sail non-stop and unassisted around the world as they complete their Jules Verne Trophy bid BREST, FRANCE – JANUARY 26 : Arrival of Alexia Barrier and his crew of The Famous Project … <\/p>\n