400 miles left for Brian Thompson and Maxi Banque Populaire V
by Victoria Pounds 6 Jan 2012 08:57 GMT
6 January 2012
Maxi Banque Populaire V set a new Jules Verne Trophy record of 45 days 13 hours 42 minutes 53 seconds* (subject to WSSRC approval) © Benoit Stichelbaut / BPCE
British yachtsman, Brian Thompson, one day from world record achievement
Brian Thompson, the only British crew member onboard the maxi trimaran Banque Populaire V, is around 24 hours away from completing the fastest circumnavigation of the world by any type of yacht.
Banque Populaire V, skippered by Frenchman Loïck Peyron, is expected to cross the Jules Verne Trophy finish line between 21:00hrs GMT on Friday 6th January 2012 and 23:00hrs GMT on Saturday 7th January 2012.
The fourteen strong crew now have the speed record within their grasp and are on course to smash the existing record by nearly three days. The Banque Populaire V crew hail from a number of nationalities, however, Thompson takes pride in being the only British crew member on board.
The crew are blasting towards the finish line at 33 knots and look set to complete the Jules Verne Trophy ahead of the current record held by Groupama 3, which stands at 48 days 7 hours 44 minutes and 52 seconds. The crew aboard Banque Populaire V have already broken four speed records* on this amazing sprint around the globe; one to the equator, one to the cape of Good Hope, one to Cape Leeuwin, and one from equator to equator. Upon completion, Thompson will also become the first Briton to circumnavigate the globe non-stop for a fourth time, beating existing records held by fellow sailors Dee Caffari MBE and Mike Golding OBE.
Hours away from the finish line, Thompson said:
“We are all in great spirits now as we push for the finish near Brest. Our goal was to set a new world record and, if we do, it will be true testament to the hard work of the entire crew over the last 45 days. I am very much looking forward to stepping back on land and we have timed it just right to miss the last of the left over Christmas turkey!”
Banque Populaire V's record times
- Time to equator = 5d 14h 55mn 10 seconds
- Time to Cape of Good Hope = 11 days 21 hours 48 minutes and 18 seconds
- Time to Cape Leeuwin = 17 days 23 hours 57 minutes and 18 seconds
- Time from equator to equator = 32 days, 11 hours, 51 minutes and 30 seconds
Follow Banque Populaire V's progress on the race tracker here.