Around the world

This has to rank as one of the most amazing sailing feats, ever - albeit enabled by some favourable weather. For Francis Joyon to take fourteen days off the single handed round the world record previously set by Dame Ellen MacArthur is quite incredible.

I can still remember the tension as we waited to see whether Ellen could beat the record when she set the previous mark by a few hours!

Key facts (from btteamellen.com)
Ellen MacArthur and Francis Joyon are the only twosailors to have completed a WSSRC-ratified non-stop solocircumnavigation aboard a multihull.

IDEC (Francis Joyon) 2004
Line crossing in Brest: February 3
Elapsed time: 72d 22h 54 min 22 sec
Record stood for 370 days

B&Q (Ellen MacArthur) 2005
Line crossing at Ushant: February 7
Elapsed time: 71d 14h 18 min 33 sec
Record stood for 712 days (1 year, 11 months and 13 days)

IDEC (Francis Joyon) 2007
Line crossing in Brest: January 20
Elapsed time: 57 d, 13 h, 34 min 6 seconds
26,400 miles at an average speed of 19.09 knots
Beating Ellen’s record by 14 days, 44 minutes and 27 seconds