The essentials facts are this: Francis Joyon sailed around the world solo in 72 days 22 hours and 54 minutes. This is over 20 days faster than the previous record. In 1969 Robin Knox Johnston compelted the first solo not stop voyage in 313 days.

Joyon acheived this record on the 90 foot trimaran IDEC. Unlike the Open 60 mono hull that set the previous record, IDEC was not purpose built for solo sailing. In fact as Sport Elec the boat once held the Jules Verne Trophy for fasted crewed voyage around the world.

Remarkably Joyon’s time was just 32 hours longer solo than when the same boat circled the globe with crew. Joyon a 47 year old father of 2 got about 4 hours of sleep per day.

Joyon is the 4th on an all French list to have soloed a trimaran around the globe. The others are the late Alain Colas, Phillipe Monnet and Olivier de Kersuason.

Joyon and Family
Photo by Jacques Vapillon

Joyon’s time of 72 days is actually faster than that of the first two boats that held the Jules Verne trophy. Bruno Peyron’s Explorer took 79 days and ENZA with Peter Blake aboard needed 74 days.

If you look at Joyon’s voyage in comparison to past Jules Verne record holders he was better than all at some point. To the equator he was 23 hours faster than Sport Elec. From the equator to the Cape of Good Hope he was 8 hours faster than current record holder Orange. From Cape Horn to the Equator he was faster than Enza and Explorer. From the equator to the finish he posted the fastest time ever! Again all this while sailing solo v. sailing with a crew.

Joyon was not flushly funded. His mainsail dated from the boat’s previous circumnaviation in 1997. Further unlike many contemporary ocean record voyages he did not have shore side routing assistance.

One of the people this record directly affects is Ellen Macarthur. She recently launched a 75 foot trimaran intended for solo record breaking. She is being coy about whether she will make an around the world attempt saying, “With regards to the round-the-world record attempt, all I can say for now is that we shall see.” Macarthur’s past record shows she will likely make an attempt, but Joyon has raised the standard she will have to achieve considerably.

In 2000, after winning the OSTAR Trans Atlantic, Joyon said: ” “But for me the goal was really to take my offshore racing experience to greater heights and gain a greater understanding of the ocean….I think it was because I was more in touch with the elements, that I won in the end.”

He’s moved to yet greater heights with this voyage. The greatest ever? What do you think?

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