After setting a new record for the Mauritius Route, Francis Joyon and his crew are tackling the second Act of the IDEC SPORT ASIAN TOUR, which will see them sail the 31.5m IDEC SPORT maxi-trimaran from Mauritius to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.
The five man team got underway today at 5 hrs, 49mn, 59sc UTC with the aim of setting the first crewed reference time for this 3975nm route. Scuttlebutt Sailing News reports.
The course will involve crossing the Indian Ocean before passing through the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, passing Indonesia, Malaysia, and entering the East Sea, the Mekong Delta and finishing off Ho Chi Minh City.
“We’ll be heading upwind in the trade winds, but after that we are likely to find ourselves in light airs once into the Sunda Strait,” said Joyon. “We’ll be passing through an area where sailing boats rarely go.
Joyon on tour: Next stop will be Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam
“I’m pleased that I’ll be joined by four crew, as we’re going to have to keep a close watch to get around all the little fishing boats, tree trunks, and other dangers that lie in wait. Averaging things out, it should take us sixteen and a half days of sailing to get to Ho Chi Minh City.
“It’s a great pleasure for me to set off on this adventure towards places our Western racing boats rarely go. It is with a short-handed crew, but they work well together. We are really starting a great adventure through Terra Incognita.”
Joyon will be joined by Bertrand Delesne (Boat Captain), Antoine Blouet, Corentin Joyon, and his faithful friend, Christophe Houdet. This worked out well when they won the Jules Verne Trophy. It will be with a short-handed crew that Joyon will tackle two new records (Mauritius – Ho Chi Minh City and Ho Chi Minh City – Hong Kong).
“The crew has been chosen because of their complementary skills, the fact that they get on well together and enjoy themselves,” notes Joyon. “There will be five of us aboard for the first two records and then six for the Clipper Route record attempt.”