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(May 26, 2023; Day 6) – Skipper Kevin Escoffier and his Team Holcim-PRB have shattered the existing 24-hour distance records for monohull boats.
First to fall was The Ocean Race 24-hour Speed Record Challenge sponsored by Ulysse Nardin, previously set at 602 nautical miles by Simeon Tienpont’s VO65 Team AkzoNobel in the 2017-18 race.
A few hours later and the outright monohull record, 618 nautical miles set by the 100 footer Comanche in 2015, had been eclipsed. As of 0630 UTC today, Team Holcim-PRB pushed the 24 hour distance further to 640.9 nautical miles.
The previous high speed for the 2023 race was on Leg 3 when 11th Hour Racing Team posted a 544.63 nautical mile run over the 24 hours, which at time improved on the distance for a monohull up to 60-feet over the record set in 2017 of 536.81 nm. All record times must be submitted to the World Sailing Speed Record Council for ratification.
Conditions have been near perfect for making a record run – downwind reaching, in 25-27 knots of wind, with a relatively flat sea state.
“It’s a great boat and I’m really pleased! It’s not every day you break a record like this,” said Escoffier. “I’m really happy for the whole team after what happened on the fourth leg (the team retired after dismasting). We don’t know what’s going to happen next, even if we’re going to do everything we can to win this leg. In any case, I think it’s a great reward for the whole team.”
The run has brought the team within a couple miles of 11th Hour Racing Team who continue to lead the leg…
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