Background on record authenticity

The World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC) was established by the International Yacht Racing Union (now renamed the International Sailing Federation) in 1972. The object was to provide impartial results for increasing numbers of claims to high speed sailing craft (on water but never on ice or land!). In 1988 following several controversial claims about the times and status of long voyages, WSSRC was asked to take over offshore sailing records. In speed order, here are the outright and ratified speed records that currently stand (as of November 2009)... ...now it is just up to you to pick the one you want to beat!

Yacht types:


S - Single-hulled yacht (monohull)

C - Catamaran

T - Trimaran

(1) - Voyage was singlehanded; otherwise the vessel had two or more persons

Transatlantic, West to East (Ambrose Light - Lizard Point)

2880

Aug 2009

Banque Populaire 5

T

40

Pascal Bidegorry

FRA

3d 15h 25m 48s

32.94

Miami - New York

947

Jun 2007

Groupama 3

T

31.5

Franck Cammas

FRA

1d 11h 5m 20s

27

Marseille - Carthage

458

May 2009

Groupama 3

T

31.5

Franck Cammas

FRA

17h 8m 23s

26.4

Cowes - Dinard

138

Sep 2002

Maiden 2

C

33.5

Adrienne Cahalan,
Helena Darvelid,
Brian Thompson

GBR

5h 23m 38s

25.60

Cadiz - San Salvador (crewed)

3884

May 2007

Groupama 3

T

31.5

Franck Cammas

FRA

7d 10h 58m 53s

21.70

Cowes - Dinard (singlehanded)

138

Aug 2007

IDEC

T

16.5

Francis Joyon

FRA

6h 23m 36s

21.60

Plymouth - La Rochelle

355

Apr 2002

PlayStation

C

38.1

Steve Fossett

USA

16h 41m 40s

21.28

Transatlantic, West to East (Ambrose Light - Lizard Point, singlehanded)

2925

Jul 2008

Sodebo

T

32

Thomas Coville

FRA

5d 19h 30m 40s

20.97

Round the Isle of Wight

50

Nov 2001

PlayStation

C

38.1

Steve Fossett

USA

2h 33m 55s

19.53

Transpacific, Los Angeles - Honolulu

2215

Nov 2005

Geronimo

T

27

Olivier de Kersauson

FRA

4d 19h 31m 37s

19.17

Taipei - Hong Kong

465

May 2008

Gitana 13

C

32.5

Lionel Lemonchois

FRA

24h 45m 59s

18.8

Transatlantic, West to East (Ambrose Light - Lizard Point, monohull)

2925

Oct 2003

MariCha IV

S

42.67

Robert Miller and a crew of 24

GBR

6d 17h 52m 39s

18.05

Round the World (non stop, crewed, any type)

21760

Mar 2005

Orange II

C

36

Bruno Peyron

FRA

50d 16h 20m 4s

17.89

Transatlantic, West to East (Ambrose Light - Lizard Point, singlehanded, up to 60ft)

2925

Jun 1994

Primagaz

T (1)

18.29

Laurent Bourgnon

FRA

7d 2h 34m 42s

17.15

Fastnet Course (Cowes - Fastnet Rock - Plymouth)

605

Mar 2002

PlayStation

C

38.1

Steve Fossett

USA

1d 11h 17m 14s

17.14

Transatlantic, West to East (outright women and singlehanded woman)

2925

Jun 2004

Castorama B&Q

T (1)

22.9

Ellen MacArthur

GBR

7d 3h 49m 57s

17.09

San Francisco - Yokohama

4501

Apr 2008

Gitana 13

C

33.5

Lionel Lemonchois

FRA

11d 12m 54s

17.04

Newport, RI - Bermuda

635

Jan 2000

PlayStation

T (1)

32

Steve Fossett

USA

1d 14h 35m 53s

16.45

Round Britain and Ireland (all islands, non stop, crewed)

1787

Oct 2002

PlayStation

C

38.1

Steve Fossett

USA

4d 16h 8m 54s

15.93

Round the World (non stop, singlehanded)

21769

Jan 2008

IDEC

T

29.8

Francis Joyon

GBR

57d 13h 34m 6s

15.84

Round Ireland (non stop, crewed)

708

Sep 1993

Lakota

T

18.29

Steve Fossett

USA

1d 20h 42m

15.84

Marseille - Carthage (monohull)

458

Sep 1998

Stealth

T (1)

27.43

Giovanni Agnelli

ITA

1d 5h 2m 6s

15.77

Around Australia

6500

Jul 2005

Geronimo

C

27

Olivier de Kersauson

FRA

17d 12h 57m 5s

15.44

Cadiz - San Salvador (singlehanded)

3884

Jul 2005

Sodebo

T

18.28

Thomas Coville

FRA

10d 11h 50m 46s

15.41

Newport, RI - Bermuda (singlehanded)

635

Jun 1999

Lakota

T (1)

18.29

Steve Fossett

USA

1d 16h 51m 54s

15.05

Sydney - Hobart

630

Dec 1999

Mari-Cha III

S

44.7

Robert Miller

GBR

1d 18h 27m 10s

14.83

Sydney - Lord Howe Island

408

Jul 2004

Raw Nerve

C

17.07

Martyn Riley

AUS

1d 3h 45m 46s

14.69

Thailand Gulf

59

Mar 1997

Dermophil

C

5.48

Mitch Booth and Herbert Derckson

USA

4h 8m 35s

14.24

Yokohama - Hong Kong (initial record)

1545

May 2006

Geronimo

T

33.5

Olivier de Kersauson and 7 crew

FRA

4d 17h 47m 23s

13.58

New York - San Francisco

13945

Feb 2006

Gitana 13

C

33.5

Lionel Lemonchois and 9 crew

FRA

43d 3m 18s

13.51

Newport - Bermuda (monohull)

635

Jun 2004

Morning Glory

S

26.6

Hasso Platner

GER

2d 28m 31s

13.09

Transpacific West to East (Yokohama - San Francisco)

4482

Jun 2006

Geronimo

T

33.5

Olivier de Kersauson and 8 crew

FRA

13d 22h 38m 28s

13.39

Hong Kong - London

12948

Sep 2008

Gitana 13

C

33.5

Lionel Lemonchois and 9 crew

FRA

41d 21h26m 34s

12.88

Round the World (women, non stop, singlehanded)

21760

Feb 2005

B&Q

T (1)

22.9

Dame Ellen MacArthur

GBR

71d 14h 18m 33s

12.66

Miami - New York (singlehanded)

947

Jul 2005

Sodebo

T

18.28

Thomas Coville

FRA

3d 5h 0m 12s

12.3

Round Ireland (monohull)

708

May 2005

CityJet Solune

S

18.28

J P Chomette,
Cesar Dohy

FRA

2d 9h 41m 6s

12.27

Round Britain and Ireland (non stop, singlehanded)

1787

Aug 2006

Sodebo

T

18.29

Thomas Coville

FRA

6d 6h 40m 31s

11.86

Transatlantic East to West (Plymouth - Newport, singlehanded)

2800

Jun 2000

Eure et Loir

T (1)

18.29

Francis Joyon

FRA

9d 23h 54m 36s

11.67

Cowes - Dinard (monohull and monohull singlehanded)

138

Nov 2004

Adrien

S

25.8

Jean Luc Van Den Heede

FRA

12h 01m 31s

11.5

Round Britain and Ireland (monohull and women)

1787

Jun 2009

Aviva

S

18.29

Dee Caffari

GBR

6d 11h 30m 53s

11.5

Honolulu - Yokohoma

3750

Aug 1995

Lakota

T

18.29

Steve Fossett

USA

13d 20h 9m 22s

11.29

Round the World (non stop, singlehanded, monohull)

21760

Feb 2009

Foncia

S (1)

18.29

Michel Desjoyeaux

FRA

84d 3h 9m 8s

10.78

Sydney - Tahiti (Papeete)

3298

Aug 2005

Geronimo

T

27

Olivier de Kersauson

FRA

13d 8h 25m 56s

10.29

Around Britain and Ireland (all islands, singlehanded, monohull)

1787

May 2005

Adrien

S

25.8

Jean Luc Van Den Heede

FRA

7d 8h 47m

10.19

Marseille - Carthage (singlehanded, monohull)

458

Jun 2009

Group Bel

S

18.29

Kito de Pavant

FRA

1d 21h 20m 29s

10.1

Marseille - Carthage (up to 40ft)

458

Mar 2008

Roaring Forty

S

12.0

Michel Kleinjans

BEL

1d 21h 24m

10.00

Round the World (non stop, singlehanded, woman, Vendée Globe)

21760

Feb 2001

Kingfisher

S (1)

18.29

Dame Ellen MacArthur

GBR

94d 4h 25m 40s

9.63

Transpacific West to East (Yokohama - San Francisco, singlehanded)

4525

Aug 1996

Lakota

T (1)

18.29

Steve Fossett

USA

20d 9h 52m 59s

9.24

Bermuda - Plymouth

2870

Aug 2004

Mollymawk

T

13.11

Ross Hobson

GBR

14d 6h 12m 50s

8.38

Dakar - Guadeloupe

2700

Dec 2007

20 Foot Catamaran

C

6.09

Benoit Lequin Pierre-Yves Moreau

FRA

11d 11h 25m 42s

9.80

Transatlantic East to West (Plymouth - Newport, monohull, woman, any vessel)

2800

Jun 2000

Kingfisher

S (1)

18.29

Dame Ellen MacArthur

GBR

14d 23h 11m

7.79

Round the World (non stop, Westabout, singlehanded)

21760

Mar 2004

Adrien

S

25.8

Jean Luc Van Den Heede

FRA

122d 14h 3m 49s

7.43

Round Australia (monohull)

6500

Jul 2003

Kaz

S

16.4

David Pescud

AUS

37d 1h 23m 57s

7.31

Taipei - Hong Kong (outright)

465

Dec 2006

Johan II

M

14.3

Philippe Grelon and a crew of 7

FRA / NZ

2d 15h 40m 42s

7.30

Round Ireland (singlehanded)

708

Oct 2005

Roaring Forty

S

12

Michel Kleinjans

BEL

4d 1h 53m 29s

7.2

Round the World (Westabout, singlehanded, non-stop women - initial record)

21760

May 2006

Aviva

S (1)

22.5

Dee Caffari

GBR

178d 3h 5m 34s

5.09

Round the World (assisted, Westabout)

21760

Jul 1996

Heath Insured II

S (1)

20.42

Samantha Brewster

GBR

247d 14h 51m 7s

3.66

Transpacific West to East (Yokohama - San Francisco, 20ft Sport, singlehanded)

4482

Aug 2006

One World

C

6.1

Alessandro Di Benedetto

ITA / FRA

62d 17h 50m 55s

2.97