Joyon reclaims world solo record, by 14days

by oneEdition on 20 Jan 2008
Frenchman Francis Joyon reclaimed the title of fastest-ever sailor to complete a solo non-stop circumnavigation of the globe from Briton Ellen MacArthur on Sunday when he sailed into the Brittany port of Brest.

The 51-year-old's maxi-trimaran crossed the finish line after 57 days 13 hours 34 minutes and 6 seconds following a 21,600 nautical miles (38,900km) journey.

In his 97ft-long IDEC II, that is 22ft longer than MacArthur's B&Q, french man took a staggering 14 days off the Englishwoman's record to reclaim reclaims the record he broke in February 2004.

Then Joyon became the first sailor to circumnavigate the world solo in less than the mythical 80 days of Jules Verne, finishing in 72 days, 22 hours, 54 minutes and 22 seconds. But just a year later MacArthur took just over a day off this record.

Joyon sailed out of Brest on November 23, needing to be back by February 3
(0023 GMT) to beat the record set by MacArthur record. He maintained a fast pace from the outset staying ahead of MacArthur for the entire journey.

The voyage became more threatened in the North Atlantic when Joyon was pounded by winds in excess of 30kts threatening to dismast his yacht. Joyon admitted that the route had started to take its toll on his battered trimaran.

'It's a bit hard going,' said Joyon. 'After my problems with the storm jib Monday I noticed signs of wear and tear throughout the boat.

'I lost a little confidence in my rigging and note that it's beginning to give up a bit everywhere.'

'He lost two days,' his router Jean-Yves Bernot commented. 'He should have begun to turn east on Wednesday evening.'