François Gabart rounds Cape Horn in his Solo Round the World record attempt

Sailing onboard maxi trimaran MACIF with skipper Francois Gabart, during training off Port la Foret, South Brittany © Vincent Curutchet / ALeA / Macif

François Gabart is racking up performances in his attempt to beat the single-handed round the world record.

Today, Sunday 3 December 2017, at 13:20 (French time, UTC+1), the skipper of the MACIF trimaran crossed the longitude of Cape Horn, 29 days, three hours and 15 minutes after crossing the Ouessant starting line, making this the second best time outright, in the history of sailing, single-handed and with crew combined, since only Francis Joyon and his crew on IDEC Sport achieved a better time last year, of 26 days, 15 hours and 45 minutes.

The MACIF trimaran has improved the reference time between Ouessant (Ushant) and Cape Horn single-handed, held since 2016 by Thomas Coville (31 days, 11 hours and 30 minutes). This performance is all the more remarkable, since it establishes a new outright record (single-handed and with crew combined) of the south Pacific crossing (Tasmania-Cape Horn) in seven days 15 hours and 15 minutes*, better than the seven days, 21 hours, 13 minutes and 31 seconds by IDEC Sport last year (Thomas Coville took eight days, 18 hours, 28 minutes and 45 seconds).

Aerial images of Francois Gabart onboard Ultim MACIF, training before the Round the Word Solo Handed Record, off Belle Ile, on October 16th - photo © Jean-Marie Liot / ALeA / Macif

However, the chief goal of this round the world is still to beat the single-handed round the world record by Thomas Coville (49 days, three hours, four minutes and 28 seconds). To succeed in this, François Gabart will need to sail up the Atlantic Ocean in less than 20 days, to get to Ouessant before 23 December.

(* subject to confirmation by the WSSRC)

The key news of the round the world record

• Date of departure: Saturday 4 November, at 10:05 (French time, UTC+1)
• Number of miles sailed since the start: 19,280 miles (35,707 km)
• Number of miles still to sail: 7,114 miles (13,175 km)
• Ouessant-Equator passage time: 05 d 20 h 45 min
• Ouessant -Good Hope passage time: 11 d 20 h 10 min
• Ouessant-Cape Agulhas passage time: 11 d 22 h 20 min
• Ouessant-Cape Leeuwin passage time: 19 d 14 h 10 min
• Ouessant-Cape Horn passage time: 29 d 03 h 15 min

Aerial image bank of the Maxi Trimaran Ultim MACIF, skipper Francois Gabart, off Les Glenans, brittany, west France, on march 29, 2016 - photo © Jean-Marie Liot / ALeA / Macif