Francis Joyon embarked on a campaign of Asian records in the winter of 2019. Act 4 of his journey, the record of the Tea Route. Record that he has just beaten on his trimaran Idec Sport (with his crew of 4 sailors) after 31 days, 23 hours, 36 minutes and 46 seconds. He thus improves the previous record of the Italian Giovanni Soldini (Maserati) by 4 days, 03 hours, 00 minutes and 26 seconds.
But what is this record of the Route du Thé?? What is il?? Here's the answer.
A shipping route of 15?000 miles between Hong Kong and London
The Tea Route is a 15?000 mile sailing route between Hong Kong and London. It's a 19th century shipping lane e century, borrowed by the famous clippers - large sailing ships with three or more masts whose large sails enabled them to move goods as quickly as possible.
At that time, England, which until then had only consumed coffee, became the largest European consumer of tea. And so we have to import from Asia these precious leaves to infuse. This is how the clippers - which used to transport opium - travel the seas and oceans for almost 3 months to deliver their precious cargo.
An errand for tea delivery
It is also an opportunity for these speedboats to fight to get to London as quickly as possible. For whoever lands first sets the price of tea and sells his cargo at the best price.
Thus, in 1866 a great Tea Race was organized with several clippers involved. As a reward, the winner will receive a bonus for each ton of goods delivered duel held all the attention, the one between Taeping (60.26 m) and Ariel (60.60 m). The two ships rarely accumulated more than a mile of distance after nearly 100 days at sea. But in the end, he was the first to receive the honours.
Several clippers marked the history of the Tea Route - such as Cutty Stark, a three-mast over 64m, or the Thermopylae (64.65m), until the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. Indeed, steamboats replaced the great wooden sailing ships.
Modern records
In 1990, the French sailor Philippe Monnet was the first to establish a solo reference time on this course. Aboard his trimaran Elle & Vire he reached London in 67 d 10h 26 minutes.
It would take 18 years - in 2008 - before a new skipper decided to attempt the record. It's Lionel Lemonchois who aboard the maxi-catamaran Gitana 13 will beat this crewed record in 41 d 21 hrs and 26 minutes.
In 2018, italian Giovanni Soldini will set a new crew reference time . On the Maserati Multi 70, he takes 36 d 2 hrs and 17 minutes.
Finally, on 19 February 2020, Francis Joyon on Idec Sport reduced this time to 31 days, 23 hours, 36 minutes and 46 seconds.
