Bravo! Thomas Coville sets new transatlantic record
by Mike K-H
On 15th July, the 32 metre trimaran Sodeb’O passed the Lizard with Thomas Coville aboard and awake. He had taken 5 days, 19 hours, 29 minutes and 20 seconds from the time he left New York. He has soundly beaten fellow Breton Francis Joyon’s 2005 record of 6 days, 4 hours, 1 minute and 30 seconds.
I stress the fact that he was awake because managing sleep deprivation is one of the essential skills of a modern single-handed ocean sailing record hunter. You have to stay awake during the initial and final stages because you are travelling fast in waters that are full of much bigger craft, and you have to remain alert in the open sea to make sure you are going as fast as possible in the right direction - and to keep informed about what the weather is doing.
Coville claimed that it was an easy trip - no surprises. Maybe, but he finished in thick fog entering one of the world’s busiest shipping zones and the shifting winds round a high pressure zone meant he had to make a 300 mile diversion and tack nine times in the last 48 hours.
Reporters claim that he was lively and cheerful on his arrival, and there are photos to prove it. Not bad after only 10 hours’ sleep in 6 days. Want to give it a go yourself?
Take a look at the Sodeb’O site for a chart of his detour and for the videos - particularly the one where he bumped into a large ‘beast’, bigger than a dolphin, but not a whale. Towards the end, they ask him what he’s looking forward to, and he says nothing can really beat what he’s been doing for the last few days… All he wants to do is congratulate the rest of the team.
