New trans-Atlantic solo record
Joyon takes the Holy Grail of solo sailingFrancis Joyon has smashed the solo trans-Atlantic record in his 100ft trimaran
Joyon set the new record at five days two hours, 56 minutes and 10 seconds, slicing 16 hours 34 minutes and 30 seconds off the old mark set by Thomas Colville in 2008.
Joyon averaged an amazing 23.30 knots for the journey. His average speed over the ground was an even more impressive 26.20 knots!
"I knew I had to navigate over 25 knots and avoid getting caught up in the calm centre of the low pressure system," he said.
Several times the Frenchman flirted with the southern edge of the centre of the low, which developed on the third day of his attempt.
Joyon complained at that time that he had a 140nm deficit to make up. His total dedication to smooth running of the boat meant that he only had a total of 10 hours sleep for the entire five days.
Working in collaboration with his friend and weather advisor, Jean-Yves Bernot, Joyon took a path more southward than Colville, which took him from New York, toward the Azores and then finally gybing and heading more northward to the finish at Lizard Point.
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