The are rare occasions when you sense you are witnessing sailing history in the making. Such an occasion was being in Les Sables d’Olonne when Ellen MacArthur finished second in the Vendee Globe. Or in Cowes for the Jubilee Regatta in 2001.

Once again I sense I am seeing such an occasion as Frenchman Francis Joyon, sailing the 97 foot trimaran Idec, is currently in the process of obliterating Ellen MacArthur’s 71 day solo round the world record. After just 18 days at sea he is a staggering 1800 miles ahead of Ellen, he has just posted a 24-hour run of 599 miles just 11 miles short of the existing record, he was faster than the giant fully crewed catamaran Orange II to the equator and if he keeps up his present pace he could be in line to knock nearly 20 days off Ellen’s record. That is, as they say, incroyable!