Something from childhood still appears on Guirec Soudée’s round face and mischievous smile. At 34, the Breton says he is relieved to have « comercilized this project from A to Z »: on Saturday, March 28, he returned from his solo and upside down – that is, against the currents and prevailing winds – after 94 days, 21 hours and 58 minutes at sea. A record. The first navigator to complete this multi-hull world tour, he also improved by just over 27 days the previous mark of the Amiens Jean-Luc Van Den Heede, established in 2004 aboard a monocoque (122 days and 14 hours).
« It was not won in advance, » explains the French navigator, who left for the first time alone aboard a 31-meter-long Ultim class trimaran. « After the passage of Cape Horn, the sea was very hard, with waves of 6 to 7 meters and winds between 40 and 50 knots [from 74 to 92 km/h] sideways. The boat took violent strokes of lying [it leaned strongly to the side], and I was afraid of turning around or breaking something, « recalls the sailor, for whom it was then unthinkable to rest. He then chose to sail in « intelligence mode », going up far north, far from the most direct route, in order to preserve his trimaran, faster but also more fragile than a monocoque in this type of navigation.
The most trying, he recalls, was the lack of sleep. When crossing the Cape of Good Hope, the skipper was confronted with the dangers of maritime traffic. Due to the conflict in the Middle East, many commercial ships had been diverted to southern Africa. On autopilot, Guirec Soudée’s boat followed an unpredictable trajectory, adapted to weather variations, but which the cargo ships had difficulty apprehending. Result: two days of tension during which the sailor, deprived of rest, had to face emergency situations every thirty minutes, taking over the helm to avoid collisions.
« A hyperstructured team »
Enough to exhaust him physically and mentally. Immersed in a state of « complete hallucination » by fatigue, the skipper believes for a moment to detect a problem on the wind turbine on the edge and reaches out to stop it. « The wind turbine was running at full speed. It’s like razor blades. Clearly, my fingers were leaving, » says the navigator. Which only recovers « a few centimeters » from the blades.
French skipper Guirec Soudée during his round the world sailing against the prevailing winds and currents, on January 12, 2026. ARMEL VRAC/MACSF
On the other hand, there is no question of giving up. He had to deal with a starboard saffron (part of the rudder) damaged by a collision with a fishing net, shortly after the passage of the Cape of Good Hope. A breakdown that could have compromised his attempt. « I always assume that it will work, even when everyone tells you that it is impossible, » he assures. I didn’t even think I would live to be 30. Today, I’m there, so I take advantage of it: maybe that’s why I’m chaining the adventures, with deep down the fear that everything will stop. «
This time, he left nothing to chance, even if, as he says, « exploding » his budget – estimated at about 2 million euros – to surround himself well in the preparation of the boat and leave with new sails. After the Vendée Globe 2024-2025, which he finished in 23rd place, Guirec Soudée took out a loan, putting his house under warranty, to buy the trimaran.
Then, in the spring of 2025, he convinced MACSF, a mutual insurance company for health professionals, to finance his adventure. This was followed by a construction site and the takeover of the boat, especially during a crossing of the Atlantic with the streamer Inoxtag. Six months later, on December 23, he took to sea. « I ran big financial risks. The option of not returning was not possible, « he says, smiling.
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« I am lucky to have a hyper-structured team of ultra-competent enthusiasts, who are fully in the project and have been following me for a long time, » continues the navigator. He insists in particular on the role of his team leader, Alice Claeyssens, and Lucie Queruel, the technical director of the boat, willingly speaking of a « collective feat ».
« Selfish » need for solitude at sea
His other pillar is his partner: Newt De Nijs, entrepreneur in design and mother of their two children, Maé, 4, and Manec, 2. Paternity has changed the relationship to the danger of this adventurer, who had notably signed a dangerous round trip on the Atlantic Ocean by rowing. « Now, I systematically attach myself when I’m in the middle of my boat, even if it means wasting time or backing up. «
Will he let their offspring sail alone at sea, as his own father did with him, while they lived on the island of Yvinec (Côtes-d’Armor)? « Not sure, » replies the navigator, who went alone to « fish for dinner » from the age of 8. « It was great to surround myself with healthy elements and find myself with myself. When you have tasted this, you become addicted, » explains the navigator about his « selfish » need for solitude at sea. « It allows you to empty and reset everything, which is impossible to do with the life that everyone leads today. «
During the race, however, Guirec Soudée maintained the link with the public by regularly publishing videos. « I like to tell what I live and what I do, » says the one who defines himself as a « communicat » and has already written several books about his adventures, including children’s books. « On the boat, my team sent me the messages of Internet users. It was nice to feel this world behind me, in a hurry to connect to the map to know where I was, he observes. It feels good for everyone, in the tense context we live in, to have stories that take us out of our daily lives, make us smile, dream, or that question us. «
Leaving with little, learning on the job, adapting and finishing at all costs: a constant in the journey of the Breton navigator. After a crazy first round the world in five years, the Atlantic in rowing, the Vendée Globe 2024-2025 and this record around the world upside down, Guirec Soudée is already thinking about his next solo challenge: the Route du rhum, between Saint-Malo (Ille-et-Vilaine) and Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe), which he hopes to start on November 1.
He already has the boat, all he needs is the sponsors. And why not, then, face the crew challenge of the Jules-Verne Trophy – the record of the world tour? But, before that, the whole family will set sail for Greenland this summer for two months of navigation. « Who can offer this to his family today? Very few people. I feel privileged. «
