Today, 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.

Crossing 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.

Alexia Barrier and crew of The Famous Project CIC: Dee Caffari, Annemieke Bes, Deborah Blair, Molly LaPointe, Támara Echegoyen, Stacey Jackson and Rebecca Gmür Hornell. Photo: Lloyd / Jmliot Images / CIC

This 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 -– Tracy Edwards’ Royal & Sun Alliance – dismasted in the Southern Ocean. In total just 14 female sailors have ever attempted a Jules Verne Trophy circumnavigation.

The Famous Project was masterminded and skippered by former Vendée Globe sailor Alexia Barrier, together with British co-skipper Dee Caffari, and an international crew of Annemieke Bes, Rebecca Gmür Hornell, Deborah Blair, Molly LaPointe, Támara Echegoyen and Stacey Jackson.

They were sailing the former Idec Sport, the previous holder of the Jules Verne Trophy record at 40d 23h 30m – a record which was broken only yesterday by Thomas Coville and crew on Sodebo Ultim.

The Famous Project’s challenge

Idec Sport is a non-foiling maxi trimaran, and now a 20-year-old design. From the outset the crew were faced with gear troubles – including steering issues and mainsail halyard problems.

Later 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. ““We went from 30 knots to 5 knots!” Alexia described the incident. “We 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.” It later transpired that the foil had been damaged beyond repair.

Their 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.

Under 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

Despite 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.

Many 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.

The Famous Project’s Alexia Barrier and Dee Caffari,embrace after finishing the Jules Verne Trophy on January 26, 2026. Photo: Lloyd / Jmliot Images / CIC

History makers

Shortly before the finish, Dee Caffari posted a quote by former US President Theodore Roosevelt on Facebook: “It is not the critic who counts; not the one who points out how the strong woman [Dee’s edit] stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

“The 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..

“Who 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.”

See more at thefamousproject.io and we’ll report further when we hear from the crew.