New 24-hour sailing record in a foiling IMOCA 60 yacht

Celebrity British sailor Alex Thomson has smashed the world sailing record in the solo Vendee Globe around-the-world yacht race, travelling 535.34 nautical miles in 24 hours to take the record from a Frenchman.

Francois Gabart, a French professional offshore yacht racer who won the 2012-13 Vendee Globe in 78 days 2 hours 16 minutes, set the pevious record of 534.48 nautical miles in that race.

Thomson, the fearless Brit on his Hugo Boss 60 footer, has sailed an additional 1573 metres at an average of 22.26 knots for a full day and night. That's flying on his foiling 60 footer.

Err, but there's a catch.

The official rule of the world speed sailing record states that the record must be exceeded by one complete nautical mile further than the previous record in order to be ratified.

One nautical mile = 1852 metres. Alas, Thomson has fallen shot by 279 metres. He's going to rue making that cuppa on autopilot rather than bearing away on the gusts.

The distance Thomson sailed in 24 hours on Saturday, November 19, 2016, which has been confirmed by the race organisers, makes him the fastest solo sailor on a 60ft monohull in a 24-hour period.

This is the second record Thomson has broken during this edition of the Vendee Globe, with the first being the fastest time to the equator in Vendee Globe history of 9 days, 7 hours and 3 minutes.

Thomson hit an unidentified object on Saturday morning but still managed to break the 24 hour record.

Despite breaking off part of his starboard foil, Thomson is still leading the fleet. Hugo Boss is travelling at 21.7 knots, with 84.9 nautical miles between him and Edmond de Rothschild in second place.

Thomson is determined to be the first British Skipper to win the Vendee Globe. It is a race which could take up to 80 days and Alex Thomson is still one of the favourites to win. More at www.vendeeglobe.org/en/.