A nine-time circumnavigator with eleven voyages around Cape Horn, French sailor Thomas Coville capped a remarkable career in January 2026 by skippering the trimaran Sodebo Ultim 3 to win the Jules Verne trophy, breaking the outright circumnavigation record that had stood for 9 years, by a 12-hour margin.
Returning to Ushant at 07:49 on 25th January, Coville and his 6-man crew of Frédéric Denis, Pierre Leboucher, Léonard Legrand, Guillaume Pirouelle, Benjamin Schwartz, and Nicolas Troussel, completed their 28,315-mile circumnavigation in 40 days 10 hours 45 minutes 50 seconds – an average of 29.17 knots!
Thomas has competed at the highest level since his teenage years. From Mini 6.50s to record-breaking trimarans, he has also won the Volvo Ocean Race 2011/12 aboard Groupama 4 skippered by Franck Cammas and competed in the America’s Cup to become one of the most versatile skippers of his generation.
Cammas, and before him, French pioneer Olivier de Kersauson, with whom Coville first won the Jules Verne trophy in 1997, both had a considerable impact on his career, along with Sodebo, his long-term sponsor since 1999 when he won the Transat Jacques Vabre with Hervé Jan.
In 2005, Thomas chalked up another circumnavigation success, winning the Oryx Quest race aboard Doha 2006 skippered by fellow Cape Horn Hall of Fame inductee Brian Thompson.
His first success with Franck Cammas came in 2009 when Groupama 3 broke the trans-Mediterranean record from Marseilles to Carthage before setting a new Jules Verne record aboard the same multihull the following year. They capped this with victory in the 2011/12 Volvo Ocean Race aboard Groupama4
In 2016, Coville became the first sailor to smash through the 700-mile barrier, setting 24 hour singlehanded distance record of 714 nm (29,75 knots) on the trimaran Sodebo Ultim enroute to setting a solo circumnavigation record of 49 days 3 hours 7 minutes and 38 seconds – 7 days faster than the previous record
In 2020, Coville and his Sodebo Ultim 3 crew set a further 24-hour record during another attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy, covering 889.9 miles in 24 hours – A 37.1 knot average!
Career highlights
1985-1991: skipper of Polytechnique in the Tour de France Race
1997: 2nd of the Mini Transat
1997: Jules Verne Trophy with Olivier de Kersauson, skipper of Sport-Élec
1998: Winner of the Route du Rhum on monohull with Aquitaine Innovations
1999: Winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre with Hervé Jan on monohull Sodeb’O
2001: 6th in Vendee Globe 2000–2001 in 110 days and 7 hours
2004: 2nd of The Transat on trimaran Sodeb’O
2005: Winner of the Oryx Quest on Doha 2006 with skipper Brian Thompson
2005: North Atlantic crossing (east to west) between Cadiz and San Salvador in 10 days 11 hours, 50 minutes and 46 seconds
2005: Record Miami – New York in 3 days 05 hours and 12 seconds.
2006: Record around Britain and Ireland in 6 days, 6 hours, 40 minutes and 31 seconds
2006: 3rd of the Route du Rhum on trimaran ORMA Sodeb’O.
2008: 24 hours distance record single-handed on Sodeb’O with 619,3 miles.
2008: North Atlantic crossing (west to east) (New York – Cape Lizard) single-handed.
2008-2009: Attempt on the around the world sailing record single-handed on the trimaran Sodeb’O in 59 days, 20 hours, 47 minutes and 43 seconds (2 days outside Francis Joyon’s record)
2009: Trans-Mediterranean from Marseilles to Carthage (in 17 hours 8 minutes 23 seconds, with Franck Cammas skipper of Groupama 3.
2010: Jules Verne trophy winner with Franck Cammas, skipper of Groupama 3.
2010: 3rd of the Route du Rhum transatlantic on trimaran Sodeb’O
2011: Attempt on the around the world sailing record single-handed on the trimaran Sodeb’O in 6 days, 7 minutes, 32 seconds (3 days outside Francis Joyon’s record).
2012: Volvo Ocean Race aboard Groupama4 with skipper Frank Cammas
2016: 24 hour singlehanded distance record on the trimaran Sodebo Ultim with 714nm (29.75 knots) – the first sailor to beat the 700 nm barrier.
2016: Singlehanded Round the world sailing record on Sodebo Ultim in 49 days 3 hours 7 minutes and 38 seconds (7 days faster than Francis Joyon’s previous record).
2017: North Atlantic record from New York –Lizard Point) single-handed on Sodebo Ultim in 4 days 11 hours 10 minutes and 23 seconds (28.35 knots, 15 hours faster than Francis Joyon’s previous record).
2020: 24-hour record during his attempt for the Jules V
