Dame Ellen sets sights on new record after a very bon voyage

Published on Sunday 20 January 2008 21:01

ELLEN MacArthur last night said she has not ruled out trying to reclaim her title of fastest-ever sailor to compete a solo non-stop circumnavigation of the world after it was beaten by French yachtsman Francis Joyon.

"Records are set to be broken," Dame Ellen said just hours after her greatest rival regained his title by completing the journey in 57 days, 13 hours, 34 minutes and 6 seconds following an arduous journey of 21,600 nautical miles – knocking 14 days off her 2005 record.

Dame Ellen, sailing on her boat Castorama, had dramatically broken Joyon's 2004 record by just one day. Dame Ellen, 31, who sent messages of goodwill to Joyon while he was at sea on his 97ft, red trimaran named IDEC 11, said hearing the regular updates of the Frenchman's progress had made her want to go back to sea.

Making a special journey from her home in Derbyshire to Brest in Brittany to join sailors from around the world welcoming Joyon home, Dame Ellen said: "I know it has been hard for him, that he has had to suffer. He took different options and benefited from good weather down to the Horn. His boat is bigger so it's normal that he goes quicker, but he deserves the record and I'm happy for him.

"He was very fast, he played really well, and he really deserves this record. I thought it would be fairly easy to take seven or ten days off the record, but to take off two weeks, that is completely exceptional."

Before Joyon had neared the record mark, Dame Ellen admitted she had been keeping her fingers crossed for him.

However, she is unlikely to attempt to break the record in the next year because of her commitment to other projects.

It was a "bit of a shock" to be among so many people again, Joyon said after hitting land on France's Atlantic coast yesterday morning. He crossed an imaginary finish line between France's Ouessant's Island and Lizard peninsula off the south-west coast of England.

"Right up to the end, I was worried about damage. In the night I almost hit a container ship and I had a fishing boat across from me. It has been a constant struggle," he said. Joyon shrugged off the hero label, adding: "I want to do a good job as a sailor."

Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President, heartily congratulated Joyon in a message that said his feat "brought honour to France and all the French".

Joyon set out from Brest on 23 November, then looped under South Africa and Australia and Chile before heading back for the French shore.

He broke several intermediary records along the way. He crossed the Pacific in just ten days, 14 hours.