Thursday December 18, 2025: To the rhythm of the Indian Ocean

December 18, 2025

Last Tuesday, as they slipped beneath the Cape of Good Hope, the southernmost point of the African continent, the sailors of The Famous Project CIC entered one of the monuments of a round-the-world sailing trip, the Indian Ocean.
And to kick off this hearty main course, they were served the boiling Agulhas Current, perhaps to give them a taste of the much feared “Great South.” The Agulhas Current, which flows straight down from the shores of Madagascar, accelerates under Africa, reaching speeds of up to 3 knots in some places. Facing the west wind, it stirred up a very rough sea on the Maxi trimaran's route, which severely shook the crew.
Alexia (Barrier), Dee (Caffari), Annemieke (Bes), Rebecca (Gmür Hornell), Deborah (Blair), Molly (LaPointe), Támara (Echegoyen), and Stacey (Jackson) cleverly found the right balance between steering and autopilot, choosing the right headsails combined with their mainsail, which was still restricted by the hook blockage, and the rhythm of life on board.
This morning, they are making good speed out of this unfriendly zone and diving a little further south with each mile, on an efficient course towards Kerguelen Islands. They are also entering the Indian Ocean roller coaster, where violent depressions gallop with remarkable regularity and, for several years now (see the last Vendée Globe), very far north, forcing them to take a very northern route as the sailors seek the best angle and wind strength in the northern part of the depressions.
The maxi trimaran is shaking off the dust, lengthening its stride, and the girls of The Famous Project CIC are now eyeing the next big marker on their round-the-world trip, Cape Leeuwin at the western tip of Australia, which they hope to see on Christmas Eve, a nice gift for the whole crew and especially for the Australian on board, Stacey Jackson.