On Monday 6 October Thomas Coville relaunched the 105 foot trimaran Sodeb’O after a three week refit at Lorient, France.

The team have been working on the optimisation of the trimaran for the solo round the world record – which Thomas will be attempting to beat this winter. “This work is an important stage as it’s the last opportunity to adapt the boat according to everything we’ve learnt during the past year spent sailing aboard Sodeb’O” explained the skipper.

“Besides the centreboard and sails, we’ve optimised the balance of the helm, which is an essential point for the solo sailor, as is the constant work on the automatic pilots. My living space has been adapted to make it even more functional, and a window has been cut into of the cockpit hood so as to enable me to keep an eye on the sails whilst staying protected”.

Thomas knows that his boat is fast and totally suited to being sailed single-handed. In a little over a year, it has already covered the equivalent of one and a half circumnavigations of the globe, and set a new 24 hour speed record. The boat also holds the North Atlantic record.

This week Thomas will perform sea trials to test the latest modifications and from 15 October, he will be on standby in La Trinite sur Mer, south-west Brittany, to await favourable weather conditions to set off around the world.

For more information, visit www.sodebo-voile.com .