The sailing world is still buzzing from Thomas Coville and Team Sodebo Voile's historic Jules Verne Trophy record, a testament to relentless pursuit and meticulous preparation. But as any seasoned campaigner knows, the horizon is always shifting. Sodebo, the Vendée-based powerhouse, isn't resting on its laurels; instead, they're charting an audacious new course for 2026, throwing their considerable weight into the cutthroat arena of multihull circuit racing.

This strategic pivot marks a fascinating evolution for a team synonymous with solo ocean records. While the specifics of the multihull platform – whether it's an Ultim, a newly designed trimaran, or a foray into a different class entirely – remain to be fully unveiled, the implications are profound. Coville, a master of endurance and high-speed offshore navigation, will now be bringing that expertise, honed over decades of challenging the planet's most unforgiving oceans, to a more compressed, tactical, and potentially crewed environment.

For sponsors like Sodebo, this move offers a different kind of visibility. Circuit racing, with its tighter schedules, more frequent events, and often inshore components, provides a consistent platform for brand engagement and fan interaction. It’s a smart play in the evolving landscape of professional sailing, where the allure of the grand prix circuit, whether SailGP or other high-performance multihull series, continues to grow. The capital investment for such a program will be significant, undoubtedly involving top-tier design houses, sailmakers like North Sails, and hardware specialists such as Harken. The question now is, which circuits will Sodebo target, and who will join Coville in this thrilling new chapter? The 2026 season just got a whole lot more exciting.