BRIAN THOMPSON WINS JULES VERNE TROPHY
Saturday January 7th, 2012
Brian Thompson has become the first Briton in eighteen years to take the coveted Jules Verne Trophy. Brian 49 from Southampton smashed the previous round the world record by nearly three days.
Mr Thompson triumph was aboard “Banque Populaire V” a 130ft trimaran and he was the only Briton among the 14 strong mainly Gallic crew. The Boat was also French. Brian communicated with the crew in what he describes as schoolboy French.
The circumnavigation was completed in 45 days, 13 hours, 42 minutes and 53 seconds, and they crossed the finishing line at Brest, France, at 10.14pm on Friday 6th Jan 2012.
The previous record was 48 days, 7 hours, 44 minutes and 52 seconds.
Mr Thompson said: “This has been an incredible trip around the planet, almost a dream ride. That’s because of the quality of the boat, of the preparation and most of all to the incredible crew on board.”
He added that his crewmates were “talented, industrious, dedicated, fun and welcoming to an English guy with schoolboy French”.
Brian Thompson’s success holds him in very high esteem as it makes him the first British holder since Sir Robin Knox Johnson took 74 days and 22 hours to complete the 28,000-mile course on ENZA New Zealand, co-skippered by Kiwi sailing legend Sir Peter Blake in 1994.
Brian said: “To achieve my dream of finally holding the Trophee Jules Verne feels absolutely fantastic. At the same time, to become the first Briton to sail around the world non-stop four times is just amazing and feels very special.”
Along the way Mr Thompson saw an iceberg the size of the Isle of Wight, and Comet on Christmas day.
Brian wrote in one of his last blogs before finishing “However much we want to get to the finish, to accomplish the goal and lift the stress of going this fast for so long, to see family and friends, to do other things than live in a carbon tunnel, there is part of you that is sad to see it ending,”
Well done Brian Thompson and his crew from all the Harbourguides Crew.
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