Coville announces his 2009 program

French solo skipper to make fresh attempts on two key Atlantic records

Freshly emerged after a winter in the boatyard, Thomas Coville has announced a new program of records for his 32m maxi-trimaran Sodebo.

"The world tour is a great experience! I am now eager to test the improvements we have made over the last three months," says Coville. "Since the number of record attempts has increased over the last three or four years, times have become increasingly difficult to beat. These records are their own sport and the requirement in terms of performance without stopping have risen a notch. We also have the Route du Rhum in our sights for 2010 and the competition will be strong in that. Sodebo is a good boat and, like any good boat, it must move forward without stopping."

So for this summer, the program is to try to beat two singlehanded records across the Altantic. The first is the Route of Discovery, between Cadiz and San Salvador in the Bahamas, which will take place sometime when the weather comes good between May and June and the west to east North Atlantic record from New York to the Lizard, sometime between late June and mid-August.

Both courses Coville knows well. In 2005, he established a record time for the Route of discovery course, although this time has since been beaten by Francis Joyon.

As for the eastbound return trip across the North Atlantic, the skipper of Sodebo currently holds the fastest time of 5 days, 19 hours, 29 minutes and 20 seconds.

This summer we can expect to see three or four multihulls on stand by in New York to make this latter crossing, including both Groupama 3 and the Banque Populaire IV maxi, which will be doing it fully crewed. Sodebo will be there around 25 June.