Last Friday (8 July) at 23:06:58 local time, Banque Populaire V finished its Tour of the British Isles, bringing the reference time (previously held by Sidney Gavignet in Oman Air Majan) to 3 days 3 hours 49 minutes and 14 seconds. Less than a month after having shattered the SNSM Record (a sailing course between Saint-Nazaire (SN) and Saint-Malo (SM)) Loïck Peyron and his crew improved the GB record by more than a third – by 1 day, 11 hours, 20 minutes and 13 seconds.

The crew initially set off on Friday 1 July for training. Planned as preparation for the next Jules Verne Trophy, the session quickly became – thanks to good weather – a record attempt around the British Isles. “We left Lorient for training,” explained Loïck. “We quickly found ourselves as Nelson’s fleet at the time of the Napoleonic wars and we stationed at the entrance of the Channel, on the lookout, between France and England. The Maxi Banque Populaire V is a record hunter and whenever there is a prey to seize, she does not hesitate. The weather gave us a great opportunity…”

Seizing the opportunity, the crew of 13 chose to defy the clock and the time set in 2010 by Sidney Gavignet – then sailing solo aboard his trimaran Oman Air Majan.