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Commenting on his forthcoming attempt said: 'I'll be back with the boat at the end of the week. I'm taking the halyards, electronics and all the little parts that go on board with me. I sent the new gennakers on by plane, and the new sails are being overhauled by Incidences in Guadeloupe: we're going to have to refit all that, as the boat is in bits all over the place at the moment. However, the central hull and the floaters are attached to each other, so there's no problem on that score.'

Full of zest, JOYON admits he cannot wait to get back with his huge three-legged companion, and back out on the seas - the first journey lined up is the voyage to New York, where the boat is expected by the first week of April. Initially, the skipper thought he would sail alone, and maybe try for the 24-hour record, but he had to change his plans due to logistical constraints. He added: 'When we get to New York, we're going to have to change marinas quite often, and it is impossible to carry out harbour manoeuvres alone aboard this boat.'

Chatting about the record JOYON said: 'The main difficulty is going to be that we have to go fast all the time. The average speed is so high, that there's no time to hang around. The slightest weather hitch, the slightest hold up and the record is out of our grasp. The weather has to be just right over the six days.'

'The router is a vital tool, which is allowed within the framework of the record. The Atlantic is the time which has the fastest average speed in single-handed sailing. The chances of beating it on one attempt are low, as all the attempts over the past ten years have failed. You really have to ensure luck is with you by using all the available means.'

It is Jean-Yves BERNOT, the well-known North Atlantic expert (who planned the route for Mari-Cha III on her record in 1998), who has been given the task of showing IDEC the way. 'Jean-Yves and myself have already worked together a lot,' JOYON said, 'he looked after me during the Route du Rhum race. When I capsized, he was the person I called up first. Jean-Yves is a sailor, who can put himself in the shoes of the man out on deck. That's a very important element, which plays a major role in our ability to work well together.'

Currently the single-handed record for a transatlantic crossing stands at 7 days, 2 hours, 34 minutes and 42 seconds which was set by Laurent BOURGNON (FRA) back in 1994. The west to east crossing leaves Ambrose Light and finishes 2,925 miles away at Lizard Point.