Francis Joyon, and the unmistakable red maxi-trimaran IDEC, will return to Cowes to compete in the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race on Saturday 19 June. Joyon will be hoping to beat his own unbroken record of 3 hours 8 minutes 29 seconds, set in 2001.

The 30m IDEC II weighs only 11 tons with a mast height of 32 metres. It raced last year, coming 26 overall with a time of 7 hrs 46 mins 10 secs. Joyon is hoping for better winds and a much faster time this year. He will be raising funds for ICM, l’Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinière (the Institute for Brain and Spinal Cord research).

When asked what other racing plans he has for 2010, Joyon explained that he would be entering the Route du Rhum starting in October.

For more, visit www.roundtheisland.org.uk.

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