The World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC) was created in 1972 by the International Yacht Racing Union (since International Sailing Federation). The objective was to provide impartial results for speed records achieved under sail. The decision was then taken to ratify speed records over a distance of 500 m.
In 1988, many claimed to record the times and speeds of long journeys. The WSSRC is then questioned to take into account offshore records
Since 2001, the organization has had a full-time secretariat and almost every day, it is called upon in one of the sailing categories. The council, composed of Australia, France, Great Britain and the United States ratifies the records or checks the chronometers of the files in claim - as well for coastal or offshore navigation - according to the rules of the WSSRC.
Certificates are issued to record holders and their times are recorded. It is possible to consult all the world records of ocean racing, past and present, because it is regularly updated.
François Gabart on the 2012 Vendée Globe
