The Extraordinary Solo Race Around the World - Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest 2024

Six 32m trimarans racing solo around the world, it's never been done before. In fact, to date only four people have ever completed a solo lap of the planet in a multihull.
The Arkea Ultime Challenge Brest is an extraordinary race between six exceptional sailors aboard a fleet of incredible machines, most of them fully foiling. The race started on 7 January 2024 and is expected to take between 40-50 days for the front runners.
Matt Sheahan went to Brest ahead of the start to talk to one of the favourites and current monohull round the world record holder, Armel Le Cleac'h aboard Maxi Banque Populaire XI.
The man, the machine and the mission.

[@spongesurf12]

I was born into sailboat racing and I can't even imagine putting up the sails on a 32m boat solo. The power is just wild, and to handle that it in the Southern Ocean is mind blowing. Good luck and safe trip to all!

[@Antipodean33]

These boats are mind blowing and this race is equally as mind blowing. 32 meter tri's cruising at 30 to 40 knots and going over 50 is insane and single handing non stop race around the world is truly the pinnacle of sailing. Can't wait to see this happen

[@jamesaron1967]

No need for waiting, the race started two weeks ago..

[@floodo1]

Excellent coverage, really appreciate getting to details like crash padding, daggerboard control, and the food. Always interesting to see what delicious treats get packed on various boats (-8

[@rumbepack]

Ultims are the kings of sailboats each one is a technical marvel.

[@floodo1]

I esp enjoy them with crew so we can see the machines pushed to their limits! But this race is something special testing these skippers to their limits!!

[@errolG68]

I solute you as Pilots of these incredible machines which are Planes, sailings over the sea at incredible speeds. Congratulations to all those incredible people involved in designing and building these machines . Regards Errol in South Africa

[@mait1995]

Absolutely beautiful things, those sailboats. More like planes with sales than anything else.

[@TheGeordietheWitchandtheWench]

Took us 9 months to get from Canada to Australia on an old 1956 Gaffer :-) No electronics, no cockpit, no roller furller and sporting a wooly jumper!!

[@SBAtmost]

It’s beyond comprehension, how a solo sailor maneuvers a vessel moving with such speed, face the challenges posed by the elements and yet eat, sleep and function for that many days, alone!!

[@stephensparkes7260]

Thank you for that very interesting content 😊

[@paolomh113]

🤯

[@alanbrookes6637]

Absolutely crazy to singlehand these very odd looking yachts in the most isolated oceans of the world, no doubt expecting people to risk their lives to come to the rescue when the proverbial hits the fan.

[@jeffcondell]

I must admit to being concerned with the level of potential danger for these Skippers. Fortunately, after his collision yesterday, Tom is OK but the boat is clearly not!

[@TheJamesthe13]

Seriously why didn’t musto just do their own advertising? Ever since they got bought out the quality has taken a nose dive…. Good luck to the sailors! Boats look lethal!

[@AntiVaganza]

So many answers to that. One is that using influencers/shills/youtubers is often cheaper and may be better/easier sometimes. But often it's not. Often it's just that some new PR boss just follows trends and says "we need to be good on social media!" without really thinking it through. And as always, PlanetSail is cagey about this. They most likely got paid to do this, but instead of just being brutally honest about this upfront they kinda mention it offhand. Which does more harm than good for the people who actually notice. Matt likes to think of himself as a (sports) journalist and I feel sorry for him as an important part of his income is probably stuff like this. And for years, the magazine he worked for could also not afford not to suck up to the industry players. I feel like he missed a chance when he went to youtube to really break free of this. That said, he is doing really well on some content, but then still does this "press release" type stuff. One way to have done this one well would have been to not even talk about the product. Do a proper interview, forget who paid your flights, but ask what you really want to know yourself. Create great journalism, great story telling and then at the very end, you thank Musto "for making it possible". The audience will be better entertained and subconciously, they will think if this amazing man chose Musto, that brand can't be bad at all. Look at how Patagonia does it. Better than pretty much anyone else. They do mini docus about inspiring people and don't talk about clothing. Also, they likely have a ton more money to do so than Matt so the production value is amazing. But still, if the story is there, don't stoop to talking about product. I do realize I am being tough on Matt, but I have a love/hate relationship with how social media on one hand gives us great, free content yet on the other how fast shills are destroying core values of journalism. Matt is trying to walk a fine line between the two, I just wish he would be more journalist and less salesman. I still believe it's the healthier, smarter longer play. Sometime soon, the world will be tired of people trying to sell us stuff camouflaged as journalism. Anyhow, rant over, you got my point and Matt has bills to pay.

[@orcamaximatv]

Incredible. 😀

[@paolomh113]

Hi, has this finished? any plans to update? thx u.

[@dancarter482]

Would have been better to let him speak in his native French with subtitles - if you're going to use subtitles anyway - he was struggling and it was like pulling teeth waiting for him to try and translate his thoughts - having already read what he was struggling to say!

[@Mephistopholies]

I'm a Dude that rides 2 stroke SeaDoos. This is the hottest race on the water!

[@dprout3392]

Thank you for this interesting presentation of this flying machine and skipper. Can you do another video about the rules. I know that Banque Populaire suffered some damage interrupting the race for repair. How does the regulation works in a case like this?

[@keithc5729]

You can go the web site. He had to stop for a minimum of 24 hours. I think he was in Recife for about 28 hours.

[@isabeaoctel]

The sutitling is uncalled for as the bloke is perfectly understandable.

[@rnbspowa7of69]

He has an identical, twin that goes with him. 🤔

[@inuendo0003]

[@JWnFlorida]

That is some of the toughest oceans on the planet. Good luck to all.

[@andrewharris1837]

As a Clipper 32 ton round the worlder crew I would be scared these light trip.marans will capsize/broach with 60% of the route in the freezing heavy weather of the southern ocean😮

[@dancarter482]

Ellen McA did it on a Nigel Irens tri a decade or so back.... ....

[@MrTrapper28]

@@dancarter482 an incredible feat, but it was not a foiling boat.

[@dancarter482]

@@MrTrapper28 kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5y2hXdqjNeSoa8

[@Pocketfarmer1]

It is impossible for one person to keep a proper,legally necessary look out for the length of that race. Those solo races should be band.

[@rolandtb3]

Pounding and wind noise at 40 to 50 knots, both for body and mind. Improved adaptive all weather gear. Creative clothing with protective padding and insulating/breathable layers. Because of boat size, speed, flying at 15 knots, wind gusts, innovative warning alarms, sleep timers ⏰ and patterns. Daunting.

[@CG-99]

Just an infomercial for Musto

[@mosca3289]

It’s sailing but not as we know it.

[@user-ox3ns8hx9p]

Interesting video that turned into an advert for a clothing manufacturer….😢

[@billhayward1585]

these guys are NUTS!. I feel sorry for Johnson, his victory is a huge weight around his neck. I'm sure he has accomplished many more unknown horizons. The rest of his life is so over shadowed by his young mans lark. He must be so bored.

[@sarahmanalapan8443]

First

[@Cbob64]

Common Brits, go and fund few other machines like these one. A10 boats fleet should be great!

[@simonrano8072]

They are too busy loosing the shallow water regatas that are the America's Cup

[@ChainsawFPV]

I hope they have heavy military support for a couple of those areas....... Those boats would fetch a high price on the black market.

[@simonrano8072]

No body can sail them beside half a dozen of pro teams in the world and their sole purpose is to race. The only value they have is the ransom you could ask for the crew, the onboard electronics may cover the gaz price to cover the 2000 miles required to intercept them in high seas...