Monday, January 21, 2008

Eco-friendly Francis Joyon takes fortnight off Dame Ellen MacArthur’s world record - Times Online


Eco-friendly Francis Joyon takes fortnight off Dame Ellen MacArthur’s world record - Times Online: "At fifty-seven days, 13 hours, 34 minutes and six seconds, Francis Joyon’s record for a solo circumnavigation marks not just one of the most outstanding achievements in sailing, but in sport. It ranks him alongside all those who have made quantum leaps in their disciplines and it is the second time in his career he has managed it. Not bad for a 51-year-old who has had to struggle with less sponsorship and spotlight than more famous colleagues.
When he crossed the virtual finish line in the North Atlantic at 39 minutes and 58 seconds past midnight yesterday, the gentle Breton did not just break Dame Ellen MacArthur’s record, he redefined the art of the possible, as Bob Beamon, the long jumper, did with his “leap of the century” in 1968. Joyon took more than 14 fewer days in his 97ft IDEC II than MacArthur needed in B&Q three years ago."

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