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Just 48 hours after starting from Cadiz, Francis JOYON (FRA), a nominee for the 2008 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards after breaking the solo round the world record, is well past the Canary Islands and now progressing at high speed towards the heart of the Atlantic Ocean. The "chicane" through the Islands is now little more than a fleeting memory for French skipper, who stormed through the passage between Gran Canaria and Tenerife on Wednesday morning in a few perfectly synchronized gybes.

"I was always between 25 and 33 knots," reflected JOYON before he passed through the Canaries yesterday. "I made a good distance on that first day". JOYON admitted to having "not slept more than an hour or two" on Tuesday night, but explained, "I do not sleep much the first night: I listen to the boat, I try to understand, I adapt ..."

JOYON has since resumed the perfect path and pace for record breaking: straights and at high speeds towards the goal. In near perfect conditions throughout Tuesday, IDEC sustained speeds of close to 30 knots, recording a highest distance run of 581.7nm over 24 hours from 08:00 Tuesday to 08:00 Wednesday. Yesterday, the influence of the archipelago JOYON meant was faced with more variable winds, but was nevertheless able to keep the speedometer up around 22-25 knots. At the latest polling at 12:00 UTC today, JOYON had extended his advantage of the world record pace - set by Thomas COVILLE (FRA) aboard the 60ft trimaran Sodebo in 2005 - to approximately 300nm.

JOYON, aware of the uncertainty surrounding the weather last part of the course, is currently focussed on maximizing his gain whilst conditions remain favourable best from his machine in the present conditions. Looking ahead, JOYON predicts there may be, "a transition zone of more difficult weather by the third or fourth day, but for now I will manage what I have and everything is fine on board, I will endeavour to move quickly."

With more than a thousand miles down the road directly in just two days, the irresistible duo of JOYON and IDEC are clearly off to a good start.

The Record To Beat

Record: Cadiz to San Salvador, Singlehanded
Yacht: Sodebo, 60ft trimaran
Skipper: Thomas COVILLE (FRA)
Dates: July 2005
Elapsed time: 10 days, 11 hours, 50 minutes and 46 seconds
Distance: 3,884 nautical miles
Average Speed: 15.41 knots