In February 2004 Francis Joyon became the fastest world solo yachtsman, setting a time over 20 days faster than the previous record for a circumnavigation of 72 days 22 hours and 54 minutes and 22 seconds of covering more than 28,000 miles at an average speed of 15.5 knots on the 90 foot(27.4m) trimaran IDEC. To circumnavigate a place, such as an island, a continent, or the Earth is to travel all the way around it by boat or ship. ...

In February 2005 Ellen MacArthur beat Joyon's record by 1 day, 8 hours, 35 minutes, 49 seconds and won the 2004-5 Vendee Globe. Ellen Patricia MacArthur, MBE (born July 8, 1976) is a British sailor from Whatstandwell near Matlock in Derbyshire who was named 1998 British Telecom/Royal Yachting Association Yachtsman of The Year in the UK and Sailings Young Hope in France. ... The Vendée Globe is a single-handed non-stop round the world yacht race. ...