The World's fastest man

French yachtsman Thomas Coville, ever the unlucky in his past attempts to lift the singlehanded World circumnavigation outright record, is finally going to make history this Christmas aboard his fifth Sodebo (102ft VPLP trimaran, previously Geronimo, launched 2001), bar any damage, with a projected arrival date across the Lizard Point-Ushant finish line late on Christmas Day and set a new mark under 50 days—a record to stand a very long while in our view—The current record of 57 days was set in 2008 by fellow Frenchman Francis Joyon aboard the 97ft Nigels Irens / Benoît Cabaret trimaran IDEC II, a much narrower vessel. Thomas Coville's new record would set the fifth fastest time around the World, after the fully-crewed Trophée Jules Verne holders Groupama III and Banque Populaire V.
Good luck to him! Watch the finish here:
Sodebo one month before departure, photograph courtesy © Jean-Marie Liot