The regattas are in full swing in the bay, with boats, each bigger and more sumptuous than the last, competing on the water’s surface. The Voiles de St Tropez event offers this majestic spectacle every year to the many people gathered on the shores. Alexia Barrier's trimaran, the Mod70 Limosa, is like an extra-terrestrial in the bay, cutting through the monohulls with insolence, quickly reaching impressive speeds as the warm breeze sweeps down the slopes. The rigging strains and groans when the wind fills the sails and the crew springs into action, while the skipper focuses on scanning 360° around her, anticipating far in advance the movements of everything on the water’s surface. The steady wind will carry the Limosa to a speed of 30 knots – far less than the conditions the crew are used to out at sea. Still, the trimaran lives up to its reputation as the Formula 1 of the seas, its speed on the water unmatched by other sailboats, gliding with a disconcerting agility and stability.

We know Alexia well on the bike – she’s our ever-smiling companion on rides along the coast and in the Nice back country. She’s the friend we grab a coffee with in the old town square in the village of Biot. There, everyone greets the good-natured village girl with her loyal labrador, Nikka, who never leaves her side. Everyone knows at least something about her sailing feats. Some, less familiar with the sailing world, vaguely understand she helms boats of gigantic proportions, while those who follow the sport know she is one of the top skippers around. Sail with her on a windy day and you’ll understand who she truly is and what it means to captain a racing boat. There, Alexia transforms into a solid manager, issuing orders calmly to which everyone rapidly responds. The boat manoeuvres under her command, each person at their post, the crew following the directives of their masterful boss. It’s a different side of Alexia: we knew the friend and cyclist, but now we meet the sailor.

The Limosa, a 21-metre-long Mod70, is just the training boat for the Famous Project, the wild endeavour Alexia has led for over two years that aims to break the round-the-world sailing record at the Trophée Jules Verne with an all-female crew. The boat that will help them to break the record is being prepared in Brittany. The Idec Sport, an Ultim-category trimaran, is more than 32 metres long and 23 metres wide. The Idec Sport holds the current round-the-world sailing record, set by Francis Joyon, but it is ready for a new chapter of its history in the hands of Alexia Barrier.

The boat’s preparation is in the final stages, the team trains regularly by participating at top-class regattas and Alexia, between strategy meetings, focuses on her fitness. “I sail with the best women in the world, they are incredible athletes, and I have to lead by example and be at my peak. Physical preparation is an essential part of the project,” she says. Her trainer accommodates her crazy schedule with a personalised programme. “We agreed on a strategy to help me maintain a constant physical level and I compete in a half-Ironman every two months,” she adds. That means swimming 1.9 km, cycling 90 km, and racing a half marathon. Between races, there’s training. Alexia admits she’s not an excellent swimmer, and she doesn’t like running, so it’s on the cycle where she makes the difference. “I want to be smooth on the bike, to be able to approach the run with a bit of energy left, so I ride a lot,” she says. In the house where the Limosa crew stays, a few kilometers from Saint-Tropez, her gleaming Trek Madone proudly sits in the living room. It’s funny: she’s almost as proud of her bike as her boats. Materialism isn’t really her thing: outside of racing, she lives very simply and owns nothing. She values these machines in terms of the pleasure, adventure, and quality of experiences they bring. The bike holds a special place in her personal pantheon of vital tools and hobbies. During her week in the Var, ex-pro cyclist Nicolas Roche came to ride with her when she wasn’t sailing, and, to top it all off, Mark Cavendish, a sailing (and cycling!) fan, came aboard the Limosa to experience the rapid potential of the multihull.

The coming weeks will be decisive for the Famous Project to raise vital additional funds, but the skipper is confident. “This project is of the moment, it's going in the right direction and people are ready to follow us as it becomes a reality.” she says. Alexia wants to make women around the world ‘famous’, encouraging them to come out of their shells and follow their dreams. The project also has a strong environmental focus, which is supported by Café du Cycliste. 

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