Francis Joyon
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Francis Joyon(born 28 May 1956) is a French professional sailboat racer andyachtsman.Joyon and his crew currently hold theJules Verne Trophyfor circumnavigation, onIDEC SPORT(40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds), nearly five days less than the previous reference time.[1]He held the record for thefastest single-handed sailing circumnavigationfrom 2008 to 2016.
Although previously well known as an offshore sailor, Joyon's real leap to international prominence came in February 2004 when theBretonbecame the fastest world solo yachtsman, setting a time of 72 days, 22 hours, 54 minutes and 22 seconds, over 20 days faster than the previous record forcircumnavigation.
During the record run, he sailed more than 28,000 nautical miles (51,900 km) at an average speed of 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h) on the 27 metres (89 ft)IDEC.IDEC,formerly known asSport Elec,had previously taken 71 days to win the Jules Verne Trophy. Joyon took only one additional day while sailing on his own with a boat not designed for single-handed sailing, original (over 10 year old) sails and no weather router.
On 6 July 2005 Francis Joyon andIDECcrossed the finishing line betweenLizard PointandUshant6 days 4 hours 1 minute and 37 seconds after the start atAmbrose Lightoff New York, breaking the 11-year-old record ofLaurent Bourgnonfor thesingle-handedcrossing of the Atlantic Oceanwith a sailing boat. During the same voyage he also broke the 24-hour distance record for single-handed sailing by sailing 543 nautical miles (1,006 km) in one day on the 3 July 2005. Joyon's record voyage ended badly on 7 July while he was sailing back to his home port after completion of the transatlantic run. Joyon, who refused help to sail the boat home from the finish line and was still single-handed, was sailing across the English Channel. At a critical moment an exhausted Joyon fell asleep and the boat continued onautopilot.IDECran aground at the Pointe de Penmarc'h on the Breton coast. The €4 million trimaran was wrecked; Joyon escaped without injury.
On 9 May 2006 Joyon announced that he was building a new muilti-hull to be calledIDEC 2.His new boat is designed for solo sailing unlike the originalIDEC,which was originally designed for crewed sailing. Design was by Nigel Irens & Bernard Cabaret.IDEC 2weighs 11 tons, compared to his previous boat which weighed 16 tons, and has 10% more sail area. The new boat was seen as capable of taking 3 days off the existing record under the same weather conditions.
On 23 November 2007 Joyon set off inIDEC 2in an attempt to beatEllen MacArthur's world record for a single handed circumnavigation. He achieved this on 20 January 2008 in 57 days, 13 hours 34 minutes and 6 seconds,[2]in a voyage that is regarded as one of the most impressive sailing feats in recent history and in a time nearly two weeks less than the previous record.
Achievements
[edit]- 1988: 32nd Route de la Découverte (JB-Express)
- 1990: 10thRoute du Rhum(BPO)
- 1991: 5th Course de l'Europe (Kar-Cadelac)
- 1992: 3rdTransatand 3rd Route du café (BPO)
- 1993: 3rd Course de l'Europe (Banque Populaire)
- 1995: 2nd Transat Jacques-Vabre and 3rd Course de l'Europe (Banque Populaire)
- 1996: 2nd Transat Québec - Saint-Malo (Banque Populaire)
- 1998: 6thRoute du Rhum(Banque Populaire)
- 2000: 1stTransat(Eure-et-Loir)
- 2001: 1stFastnet Raceand also beat the record by sailing around theIsle of Wightin 3 hours ten minutes and 11 seconds
- 2003-2004: Beat the record by sailing singlehanded around the world in 72 days, 22 hours, 54 minutes and 22 seconds (IDEC). Subsequently, beaten byEllen MacArthurin 2005
- 2005: Beat the record by sailing single-handedacross the Atlanticin 6 days, 4 hours 1 minute and 37 seconds (IDEC)
- 2007: Beat the 24-hour single-handed distance record by sailing 613.54 miles in 24 hours at an average speed of 25.85 knots. Joyon set the record sailingIDEC 2during a successful attempt to break the single-handed around the world record. Soon after, Joyon's 24-hour distance record was beaten byThomas Covillewho sailed 619.3 miles in 24 hours during an unsuccessful single-handed around the world record attempt
- 2008: Beat the record forsailing single-handed around the worldin 57 days 13 hours 34 minutes and 6 seconds comprehensively beatingEllen MacArthur'sexisting record by 14 days, 00 hours, 44 minutes and 27 seconds
- 2010: 2ndRoute du Rhum,withIDEC 2
- 2013: Beat his own recordRoad of the discoverybetween Cadiz and San Salvador Island, withIDEC 2
- Beat (16 June) the record by sailing single-handedacross the Atlanticin 5 days, 2 hours 56 minutes and 10 seconds (withIDEC 2)
- 2017: Jules Verne Trophy withIDEC SPORT(40 days 23 hours 30 minutes 30 seconds)
- Beat (12 July) his own record by sailing single handed across the Atlantic in 5 days, 1 hour 37 minutes and 02 seconds (with IDEC 2)
- 2018: 1stRoute du Rhum
References
[edit]- ^"Francis Joyon - IDEC Sport".Jules Verne Trophy.Retrieved26 January2017.
- ^"Joyon shatters MacArthur's record".BBC Sport.20 January 2008.Retrieved2015-06-27.
