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Joyon Gets Ready to Rip Again

By Richard | December 14, 2007 | Southern Indian Ocean |

The day after setting a 24-hour singlehanded record of 616 miles with his 97-ft trimaran IDEC, Frenchman Francis Joyon followed it up with a near 600-mile day yesterday. Today, however, the winds have died and he’s limping along at a mere 15 to 17 knots. But Joyon says the winds will pick up again tomorrow, at which point he’ll be "galloping" again.

While an apples to apples comparison is difficult, Joyon’s pace during the first 20 days of his assault on the solo around the world record (71 days) has been approximately 30% faster than Ellen MacArthur’s. Indeed, Joyon is almost at the pace of Orange II, when that crewed maxi catamaran set the Jules Verne Around the World record. What we’re following right now is truly an historic sailing achievement.

Joyon isn’t in it for the glory, he just loves to sail.

© Jean-Marie Liot / DPPI / Idec

What kind of man is Joyon? We put that question to Javier de Muns, Latitude‘s man in Brittany, who is privy to the innermost circles of French multihull sailing:

"Joyon is a very unassuming, down-to-earth guy, capable of accepting without  fuss both breaking the solo around the world record a few years ago as well as losing his boat on the rocky shore of France after setting a new solo transatlantic mark.

"His 97-ft trimaran IDEC reflects his personality. It’s spartan, unsophisticated and efficient.

"Among his peers, Joyon is very much respected, and his psychological strength and resiliency are legendary. But his peers also know that he does not belong to their world, for he hates being center stage. In the ocean racing world of today, which is dominated by high-profile sportsmen, Joyon is probably the last true sailor."

By the way, both Franck Cammas and his crew on the maxi trimaran Groupama, and Thomas Colville, who will be chasing Francis Joyon for the solo around the world record with his trimaran Sodebo, are still on standby in France waiting for ideal conditions in which to start.

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