Having slipped his mooring yesterday Jean-Luc Van Den Heede crossed the imaginary start line between Lizard and Ushant at 12.22.25 today under blue sky and 15kts of northerly breeze. Van Den Heede is now on his fourth attempt at breaking the solo non-stop westabout global record aboard his 85ft aluminium cutter Adrien see yesterday’s news story here 

To break the current record of 151 days, 19 hours and 54 minutes, held by Philippe Monnet, Van Den Heede will have to cross the Ushant line again before 07hrs.16mins.01sec on 7 April 2003.