The 2024 Arkea Ultim Challenge is set to be a nail-biting affair, with some of the world's most advanced racing yachts taking on the ultimate challenge of sailing around the world non-stop, solo, and without assistance.
Posted
01 February 2024
The Port of Hobart welcomed a very different type of vessel on Wednesday evening, with trimaran Sodebo Ultim arriving alongside Elizabeth Pier.
The vessel is participating in the Arkea Ultim Challenge, a test of not just speed, but also of endurance.
This 32-metre trimaran is made from carbon fibre and has innovative features including a lifting foil that helps it to fly above the water at high speeds.
The team is in Hobart to work on the bow pulpit and the port side net, after they were damaged.
The choice was made to make a technical stopover at the Port of Hobart before passing into the Pacific Ocean. The stopover is timely, allowing the team to dodge the very severe weather conditions between Tasmania and New Zealand.
As per race rules, for a technical stopover where one or more crew or technical team come on board to help, the stop must be a mandatory 24-hours minimum.
As of Wednesday evening, this will be the fifth stopover since the start of the challenge, with Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, skippered by Charles Caudrelier, yet to stop and still in the lead.
Launched in 2019, Sodebo Ultim was designed by a team comprising of Design Team Sodebo, Renaud Banuls Design and VPLP.
As well as standing out for her cockpit and living area forward of the mast step, today in Hobart those visiting the waterfront will most likely notice her 34 metre tall mast towering above Elizabeth Street Pier.
The Arkea Ultim Challenge is a solo, non-stop round-the-world race for Ultim Class trimarans which have a maximum length of 32 metres and a maximum width of 23 metres.
The solo speed record around the world was set in 2017 by Francois Gabart (FRA), on the 30 metre Macif trimaran in a time of 42 days, 14 hours, 40 minutes and 15 seconds for an average speed of 21.08 knots.