Ionbond & Sodebo: A technical partnership behind a historic world record

Sodebo’s new Jules Verne Trophy record marks a defining moment in offshore sailing, showcasing exceptional skill, teamwork and technical precision. Since 2020, Ionbond has been supporting the team’s pursuit of performance and reliability at sea. 

While the spotlight rightly belongs to skipper Thomas Coville and the Sodebo crew, our long‑standing collaboration reflects how shared commitment and quiet engineering contributions help enable achievements of this scale.

Mark Lloyd Team Sodebo Voile 2

A record breaking achievement

On the 25th of January 2026, skipper Thomas Coville and the crew of Sodebo Ultim 3 set a new world record in the legendary Trophée Jules Verne, completing their nonstop circumnavigation in 40 days, 10 hours, 45 minutes and 50 seconds, outperforming the longstanding 2017 benchmark set by Francis Joyon.

At Ionbond, we congratulate the Sodebo Ultim 3 crew on this remarkable accomplishment! Their success is built on years of preparation, innovation and the collective effort of many talented people. We are proud to have contributed to this journey as technical partner through our ongoing collaboration with the team since 2020.

Mark Lloyd Team Sodebo Voile 3

A quiet but meaningful contribution

We support the team with our advanced surface engineering solutions to enhance the reliability and performance of many key components on board. While our work happens quietly in the background, it forms one small part of a much larger performance ecosystem, one where every detail matters when facing high mechanical loads, saltwater exposure and continuous friction.

Engineering for performance at sea

Ionbond’s coatings, especially our hard, low‑friction Tribobond technologies, are applied across numerous critical parts of the trimaran. These coatings significantly reduce friction and wear, enhance corrosion resistance, and improve the overall reliability of components that must perform flawlessly at sea, especially when the voyage must be non-stop and without outside assistance.

Mark Lloyd Team Sodebo Voile 1

Looking ahead together

The new Jules Verne record is first and foremost a remarkable achievement by the Sodebo team consisting of Thomas Coville, Frédéric Denis, Pierre Leboucher, Léonard Legrand, Guillaume Pirouelle, Benjamin Schwartz, and Nicolas Troussel. We are pleased to have played a supporting role in their journey and value the ongoing collaboration that makes such projects possible.

If you’re also looking to push the limits on your next technical project, we’d welcome the opportunity to collaborate and bring our expertise into your journey. Contact us through the contact form below!

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