Source: CCTV.com

10-31-2008 09:42

Ericsson 4 has bettered the world 24-hour distance record for a monohull yacht that it set on Wednesday, during the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race. The Swedish entry sailed 600 miles in a full day on its way to Cape Town.

Dave Endean (L) and Joao Signorini celebrate on Sweden's Ericsson 4 as they set a new 24 hour record, on October 29, during the Volvo Ocean race in the South Atlantic. The boat, which leads the first stage of the race between Alicante and Cape Town in South Africa, traveled some 585 miles (1,080 kilometres) in the South Atlantic in the 24-hour period that ended at 0700 GMT.(AFP)
Dave Endean (L) and Joao Signorini celebrate on Sweden's 
Ericsson 4 as they set a new 24 hour record, on October 
29, during the Volvo Ocean race in the South Atlantic. 
The boat, which leads the first stage of the race between 
Alicante and Cape Town in South Africa, traveled some 585 
miles (1,080 kilometres) in the South Atlantic in the 24-
hour period that ended at 0700 GMT.(AFP)

The leg started in Alicante, Spain on October 11th. The crew, skippered by Brazilian two-time Olympic gold medallist Torben Grael sailed 589 miles over a 24-hour period in the south Atlantic. That shattered the previous distance record of 562 miles set by ABN AMRO Two in the 2005-06 Volvo Ocean Race.

Ericsson 4's achievement is even more remarkable given the fact that they are one crew member short, following the evacuation of helmsman/trimmer Tony Mutter, who's suffering a knee infection.