Quentin Debois on standby in New York - Aiming to break record for a solo crossing of North Atlantic
by Laurence Hannon 12 Aug 16:25 BST
On Wednesday 12 August, Quentin Debois, the first Belgian to set the record for a solo east-to-west crossing of the Atlantic, enters a standby period.
As soon as weather conditions are favourable, he will set sail from New York to attempt a second challenge even more ambitious than the first: to break the record for the solo west-to-east crossing of the North Atlantic in a Mini 6.50. He will have to cover the 5,300 km separating New York from Lizard Point in England.
This new attempt holds great symbolic significance for the skipper: bringing a new record back to Belgium. The record has been held since 2023 by the American skipper Jay Thompson, who set the benchmark time at 17 days, 9 hours and 57 minutes. To surpass this performance, teamwork will once again be key, combining rigorous technical preparation, precise route planning and highly adaptive navigation in demanding weather conditions, from one low-pressure system to the next.
Only two sailors have successfully completed a solo crossing of the North Atlantic in a Mini 6.50: David Allamelou (France) in 2018 and Jay Thompson (USA) in 2023. Quentin Debois aims to be the third to achieve this feat.
Optimising the boat to cope with extremely challenging weather conditions
In early July, Quentin Debois travelled to Lockwood Boat Works in South Amboy, south of New York, to prepare his boat over a period of just over a month.
This preparation had two objectives: to ensure the boat's reliability to guarantee maximum safety, and to optimise it to achieve the best possible performance on the North Atlantic. Every component, from the smallest to the largest, had to be inspected and reinforced to ensure the Mini 6.50 could withstand the significant and repeated stresses of sailing across the North Atlantic.
The boat will be pushed to its limits non-stop in the bid to break the record.
Quentin Debois: "The North Atlantic is a demanding arena: you have to contend with shifting weather systems, strong winds and more challenging conditions."
The most significant repair involved the hull and the reinforcement of the boat's structure. The stresses accumulated during the January record attempt had led to localised wear and tear on certain structural elements, notably delamination in part of the hull (some layers of fibreglass had become detached, locally weakening the hull's structure).
This repair was carried out with Damien Chancerelle, a French expert in composite materials, who joined Quentin in New York for eight days. Damien specialises in offshore racing yachts. He was also the one who had reinforced the monohull's internal structure in August 2025, prior to the first record attempt.
Several other parts of the boat were also reinforced: the rudders and a section of the deck that had sagged slightly under the strain of the rigging. The entire deck was also resealed.
A considerable number of deck fittings - equipment and small mechanical parts used to manoeuvre the boat, such as blocks, snap hooks and cleats - have been replaced, as have several ropes, halyards, sheets and the bowsprit rotation system.
To ensure greater safety for the boat on a route heavily used by cargo ships, a new AIS antenna - longer than the previous one - has been fitted at the top of the mast. This 'shared radar' system enables boats to automatically signal their presence to one another. The 6.50 will now be detectable from a distance of up to 35 km.
Quentin is setting out on this new challenge with three new sails, including the mainsail, which bears the colours of Belgium and the logos of the partners for the double Atlantic challenge.
For the transatlantic crossing, Quentin will set sail with a substantial supply of freeze-dried food and 80 litres of water.
Heading north
As soon as weather conditions are favourable, Quentin Debois will cross the starting line, situated 2 nautical miles south of Ambrose Lighthouse, off the coast of New York.
The route for this 5,333 km (2,880 nautical miles) Atlantic record attempt will take him to Lizard Point (Cornwall) in south-west England. The finish line is situated 2 nautical miles south of the Lizard Point lighthouse.
On leaving New York, Quentin will head north to sail along the coast of Nova Scotia and then head south towards Newfoundland to position himself to the south of a low-pressure system.
The aim will be to be driven by a low-pressure system as far as the north of the Azores High, ideally catching up with a final low-pressure system towards the end of the journey to maintain momentum and successfully break the world record.
Riding the elements
The skipper-co-pilot partnership with Basile Rochut - on shore - will be even more crucial than during the first record attempt. Close coordination will be essential to continuously adjust the course.
Whilst the outbound transatlantic crossing is often seen as a long glide under the trade winds, the return crossing is quite a different matter.
It takes place against a far more complex meteorological backdrop, dominated by powerful low-pressure systems that form over the American continent and cross the Atlantic from west to east. Sailing this route means agreeing to play a game of chess against these 'trains of low-pressure systems' where the aim is to harness their energy without ever getting caught in their grip.
A low-pressure system is an organised system centred on a core, with winds that circulate anti-clockwise in the northern hemisphere. The basic principle is to position yourself in the southern part of the low pressure system, as close as possible to its cold front, to benefit from the favourable westerly winds, whilst remaining far enough away from its centre where conditions are more dangerous (strong winds and cross seas).
Quentin Debois: "To break the record between New York and Lizard Point, strategy will be crucial. Working closely with my route planner Basile Rochut, I'll need to make the most of the North Atlantic low-pressure systems, constantly adjusting my course to ride one weather system after another. The aim will be to stay as close as possible to a cold front - to the south of a low- pressure system - for as long as possible. This is a demanding strategy for the boat, involving stronger winds and rougher seas. The next aim will be to position myself to the north of the Azores High to reach the English coast. To succeed in this challenge, the boat's technical preparation and route planning are crucial.
Confidence, concentration and clear thinking
Quentin Debois feels fully prepared and calm ahead of a crossing that promises to be intensely challenging: "I can't wait to set sail again. I feel determined, focused and confident in the technical preparation, but realistic about the weather uncertainty and the difficulty of this challenge compared to the one in January to the Bahamas. Jay Thomson put in an excellent performance in 17 days and 9 hours. It won't be easy to beat that. If I do, it will be by a matter of hours."
Quentin Debois concludes: "What motivates me most is not just the record itself. It's the pride of bringing a new record back to Belgium and helping to put our country on the podiums of the sailing world. This challenge is also an opportunity to continue advancing my career in offshore racing and to share this adventure with everyone who has been involved from the start: partners, supporters, friends and the team."
To follow Quentin's progress across the North Atlantic and the weather forecasts: