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Reading time: 10 min | Updated in 2025
Solo circumnavigation, rowing across the Atlantic, a nonstop, unsupported round-the-world voyage… With each passing decade, sailing records push the boundaries of what humans and their machines are capable of achieving at sea. These feats are not merely athletic achievements: they have shaped navigation techniques, training standards, and global maritime culture.
An overview of the most remarkable records, mind-boggling statistics, and what they tell us about the high standards the sea demands of those who take it seriously.
Table of Contents
1. Solo Sailing Around the World: All-Time Records
2. Crossing the Atlantic: Sailing, Rowing, and Pure Speed
3. The Vendée Globe: The Record for the World’s Toughest Race
4. The Route du Rhum and Its Records by Category
5. Pure Speed Records on the Water
6. Human Records: Youngest, Oldest, Most Daring
7. Jules Verne Trophy: The Nonstop Crewed Round-the-World Race
8. What These Records Teach Us About Professional Sailing
1. Solo Sailing Around the World: All-Time Records
A solo, nonstop, unsupported round-the-world sail is considered the Everest of sailing. It covers approximately 21,600 nautical miles (nearly 40,000 km) and passes through the three legendary capes: the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin, and Cape Horn.
The current record
The record for a solo, nonstop, and unsupported circumnavigation of the globe has been held since January 2017 by François Gabart on the trimaran MACIF: 42 days, 16 hours, 40 minutes, and 35 seconds.
He averaged 21.4 knots over the entire voyage—or about 40 km/h nonstop, day and night, for more than six weeks.
Key Dates in This Record
- 1969 | Robin Knox-Johnston | Suhaili | 312 days (first to complete the circumnavigation nonstop)
- 1994 | Robin Knox-Johnston & Peter Blake | ENZA New Zealand | 74 days, 22 hours (crewed)
- 2005 | Ellen MacArthur | B&Q | 71 days, 14 hours (women’s solo)
- 2008 | Francis Joyon | IDEC | 57 days, 13 hours
- 2017 | François Gabart | MACIF | 42 days, 16 hours
> Perspective: In 1969, Robin Knox-Johnston took 312 days to sail around the world. Today, François Gabart does it in 42 days on a flying trimaran. Technological progress has been just as spectacular as that of Formula 1 drivers since the 1950s.
2. Crossing the Atlantic: Sailing, Rowing, and Pure Speed
The North Atlantic—approximately 2,900 nautical miles between Ambrose Light (New York) and Lizard Island (Cornwall)—is the setting for all crossing records.
Multihull Sailing Record
The transatlantic sailing record (New York–Lizard) has been held since 2018 by Francis Joyon and his crew aboard IDEC Sport: 5 days, 14 hours, 21 minutes, and 25 seconds.
That’s an average of 27.4 knots—the equivalent of 50 km/h sustained at sea for more than five days.
Solo Rowing Record
Rowing across the Atlantic (from the Canary Islands to Barbados, a distance of about 3,000 miles) is a feat of a different kind, one that tests mental endurance as much as physical endurance.
The solo record is held by Bryce Carlson: 38 days, 6 hours, and 49 minutes in 2019, in a 6-meter boat, rowing alone with the trade winds. This record is certified by the Ocean Rowing Society International.
Women’s Transatlantic Sailing Record
In 2020, Clarisse Crémer set the women’s record for a solo transatlantic crossing (Les Sables-d’Olonne – Martinique, as part of the Vendée Globe) with a remarkable crossing—although it was not a pure record attempt, her split times remain a benchmark.
3. The Vendée Globe: The Record for the World’s Toughest Race
The Vendée Globe is often referred to as “the toughest race in the world”: a solo, nonstop, unsupported round-the-world race in a monohull, starting from Les Sables-d’Olonne.
The all-time record
The Vendée Globe record has been held by Yannick Bestaven since the 2020–2021 race in terms of victory, but it was Charlie Dalin who crossed the finish line first with the fastest corrected time: 80 days, 6 hours, 15 minutes, and 47 seconds—a record time for the race.
In the 2024–2025 race, Charlie Dalin officially claimed victory in 64 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes, and 36 seconds, shattering all previous records thanks to the new generation of IMOCA foiling yachts.
Changes by Edition
- 1989–1990 | Titouan Lamazou | 109 days, 8 hours
- 2000–2001 | Michel Desjoyeaux | 93 days, 3 hours
- 2008–2009 | Michel Desjoyeaux | 84 days, 3 hours
- 2016–2017 | Armel Le Cléac’h | 74 days, 3 hours
- 2020–2021 | Yannick Bestaven | 80 days, 3 hours (adjusted time)
- 2024–2025 | Charlie Dalin | 64 days, 19 hours
The progress has been staggering: in 35 years, the time it takes to circumnavigate the globe has been reduced by 45 days—a 40% improvement.
4. The Route du Rhum and Its Records by Category
The Route du Rhum is a solo race from Saint-Malo to Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe), covering approximately 3,542 nautical miles. Held every four years, it welcomes boats of all sizes, from Rhum Class to Ultimes.
Records by Category (2022 Edition)
- Ultimate | Thomas Coville | 5 days, 4 hours, 46 minutes
- IMOCA | Charlie Dalin | 10 days, 4 hours, 33 minutes
- Class40 | Aymeric Chappellier | 13 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes
- Rhum (monohull) | Corentin Douguet | 18 days, 15 hours, 55 minutes
> The all-time record for the race is held by Francis Joyon on the IDEC trimaran during the 2018 edition: 7 days, 14 hours, 21 minutes, and 22 seconds, with an average speed of nearly 20 knots over the entire crossing.
5. Pure Speed Records on Water
Speed on the water is measured in knots (1 knot = 1.852 km/h). Advances in recent decades in foiling multihulls and kiteboards have rendered all previous records obsolete.
500-meter sailing speed record
The world speed record for sailing, across all categories, over a distance of 500 meters, is certified by the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC) and has been held since 2012 by Paul Larsen (Australia) on Vestas Sailrocket 2: 65.45 knots, or 121.2 km/h.
Kitesurfing Record
In kitesurfing, the all-time record is held by Alexandre Caizergues (France): 57.97 knots (107.1 km/h), set in 2013 in La Palme (Aude).
Speed record for a racing multihull
Ultime trimarans regularly reach top speeds of 45 to 50 knots during races. Francis Joyon recorded top speeds of 47 knots (87 km/h) during his record-breaking Atlantic crossing in 2018.
Comparative Speed Chart
- Vestas Sailrocket 2 | 65.45 knots | 121.2 km/h
- Kitesurfing (Caizergues) | 57.97 knots | 107.4 km/h
- Ultimate Trimaran (peak) | ~47 knots | ~87 km/h
- IMOCA with foils (top speed) | ~35 knots | ~65 km/h
- Medium-sized charter sailboat | 8–12 knots | 15–22 km/h
6. Human Records: Youngest, Oldest, Most Daring
Beyond the machines, some records are, above all, human stories.
Youngest solo circumnavigator
Laura Dekker (Netherlands) completed a solo circumnavigation of the globe at the age of 16 years and 123 days, arriving in Saint Martin in January 2012 after 518 days at sea. This record sparked a global controversy over the limits that should be imposed on ocean adventures.
Youngest participant in the Vendée Globe
Clarisse Crémer was the youngest competitor in the 2020–2021 race at age 32. But in the history of the race, Mike Golding was the youngest competitor, at age 28, during the 1992–1993 race.
No more solo circumnavigations
Jon Sanders (Australia) holds the record for the most solo, nonstop circumnavigations: three simultaneous circumnavigations in 1986–1987 (657 days at sea), followed by numerous other circumnavigations that have earned him the unofficial title of the most prolific solo sailor in history.
Ellen MacArthur: The Record That Changed Everything
In 2005, British sailor Ellen MacArthur broke the record for a solo circumnavigation of the globe in 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes, and 33 seconds—becoming, at the time, the fastest person to sail solo around the world. This record profoundly changed the public’s perception of offshore sailing and paved the way for a generation of professional female sailors.
7. Jules Verne Trophy: A Nonstop Crewed Round-the-World Race
The Jules Verne Trophy is awarded for the fastest crewed, nonstop, and unsupported circumnavigation of the globe by sailboat. There is no set route: the boat must simply pass by the three capes.
The current record
The record has been held since 2017 by Francis Joyon and five crew members aboard the trimaran IDEC Sport: 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes, and 30 seconds.
That amounts to an average speed of 22.4 knots over 40,000 km—without ever stopping, without external refueling, and sleeping in shifts of a few hours at a time.
History of the Jules Verne Records
- 1994 | Peter Blake & Robin Knox-Johnston | ENZA | 74 days, 22 hours
- 2004 | Bruno Peyron | Orange II | 50 days, 16 hours
- 2010 | Franck Cammas | Groupama 3 | 48 days, 7 hours
- 2012 | Loïck Peyron | Banque Populaire V | 45 days, 13 hours
- 2017 | Francis Joyon | IDEC Sport | 40 days, 23 hours
8. What These Records Tell Us About Professional Sailing
These achievements are not the exclusive domain of an unattainable elite. They embody continuous progress in maritime knowledge, navigation techniques, and safety standards—advances that have a direct impact on the training of professional seafarers.
The Skills Behind the Records
What all record-holders at sea have in common is a shared foundation of expertise found in any serious professional navigation training program:
– Advanced weather management: knowing how to interpret and anticipate low-pressure systems, high-pressure systems, and local winds—a key skill in any offshore training program
– Instrument navigation and route planning: Record-breaking skippers use sophisticated route-planning software, but its effectiveness depends on a deep understanding of the fundamentals of navigation
– Endurance and sleep management: protocols for solo watchkeeping and rest periods have been standardized and incorporated into offshore navigation training programs
– Technical proficiency with the boat: repairs at sea, damage control, sail selection—all of these skills are assessed in professional certification exams
From Records to Training: A Continuum
Innovations born out of offshore racing—foils, composite materials, and autopilot systems—are now found on high-end charter and recreational sailboats. A professional skipper trained today will sail on boats whose technology is directly derived from the IMOCA and Ultime classes.
This is precisely why the training of professional captains in France—whether for the Capitaine 200, the Yachtmaster Offshore, or STCW certifications—now includes modules that did not exist twenty years ago: assisted route planning, onboard energy management, and dynamic stability of multihulls.
> The sea of records is also the sea of professional standards. What François Gabart is testing under extreme conditions today will become tomorrow’s training standard.
What if the adventure began with some training?
All sailing record-holders have one thing in common: before their feats, they learned. Methodically. With coaches, certifications, and miles logged over the seasons.
Robin Knox-Johnston was an officer in the British merchant marine. Ellen MacArthur had earned her sailing credentials as a teenager. Francis Joyon sailed for years as part of a crew before embarking on solo offshore voyages.
Passion is the driving force. Training is what allows you to go really far.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sailing Records
François Gabart holds the record for the solo, nonstop, and unassisted round-the-world sail, set in January 2017 aboard the trimaran MACIF in 42 days, 16 hours, 40 minutes, and 35 seconds.
The all-time speed record for sailing over 500 meters is 65.45 knots (121.2 km/h), set by Paul Larsen in 2012 aboard the Vestas Sailrocket 2.
The Vendée Globe record has been held by Charlie Dalin since the 2024–2025 race: 64 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes, and 36 seconds.
The record for the fastest transatlantic crossing (New York–Lizard) is held by Francis Joyon and his crew aboard IDEC Sport: 5 days, 14 hours, 21 minutes, and 25 seconds, set in 2018.
Laura Dekker (Netherlands) completed a solo circumnavigation of the globe at the age of 16 years and 123 days, finishing in January 2012.
The Jules Verne Trophy is awarded for the fastest crewed, nonstop, unsupported round-the-world sail around the globe. The record has been held since 2017 by Francis Joyon and five crew members aboard IDEC Sport, with a time of 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes, and 30 seconds.
Inspired by these achievements and curious to know what it takes to sail professionally in France? The Yachter supports maritime enthusiasts who want to turn their love of sailing into a career or a side hustle—through training, maritime certifications, and career transitions. Check out our resources.
