This record can be achieved in the context of a race (Vendée Globe, The Transat, Route du Rhum...) as is often the case, or only in order to achieve this record. It must be ratified by the WSSRC (body that registers and verifies records) and have been registered by a GPS or a"black box" provided by the Records Council. The skipper must of course not have influenced the aircraft.
This Record can be tried alone or with a crew, on a monohull or multihull. It will then be certified in the corresponding category:
- Absolute
- Sailboat up to 60 feet
- Solitary
- Single-handed on a sailboat up to 60 feet
- Multihull
- Multihull solo
- Multihull up to 60 feet
The first Sailing Distance Record in 24 hours was set by Champion of The Sea, an American 225-foot clipper in 1854 who achieved a distance of 467 minutes at an average speed of 19.46 knots. But that was before the records were certified by the WSSCR.
The first absolute record of distance under sail in 24 hours, ratified by the WSSCR dates from 1994. It belongs to Primagaz (Laurent Bourgnon), a 60-foot trimaran which makes 540 minutes at an average speed of 22.5 knots. The last absolute record dates from 2009, obtained by Pascal Bidegorry on the 131 foot trimaran Banque Populaire V, with a distance of 908.2 minutes at an average speed of 37.84 knots.
In 15 years, the absolute record for distance sailing in 24 hours has almost doubled in distance and speed. Today, sailboats are more and more technical and technological and make it possible to achieve incredible feats.
List of Records
Absolute Pre-WSSR
| Date | Boat | Skipper | Country | Distance | Speed |
| 1854 | Champion of the Sea 225ft Clipper | USA | 467 nm | 19.46 kt | |
| 1984 | Tag 80ft Cat Formula | Mike Birch | CAN | 512.5 minutes | 21.35 kt |
| 1987 | Fleury Michon VIII 75ft Tri | Philippe Poupon | FRA | 517 mn | 21.54 kt |
| 1990 | Jet Services V 75ft Cat | Serge Madec | FRA | 522.73 minutes | 21.85 kt |
| 1994 | Lyonnaise des Eaux 75ft Tri | Olivier de Kersauson | FRA | 524.63 minutes | 21.9 kt |
Absolute Record
| Date | Boat | Skipper | Country | Distance | Speed |
| 1994 | Primagaz 60 ft Sorting | Laurent Bourgnon | FRA | 540 mn | 22.5 kt |
| 1994 | Explorer 86ft Cat | Bruno Peyron | FRA | 547.3 mn | 22.86 kt |
| 1999 | Cat PlayStation 105ft | Steve Fossett | USA | 580.23 mn | 24.18 kt |
| 2000 | Club Med 110ft Cat | Grant Dalton | NLZ | 625.7 mn | 26.07 kt |
| 2001 | Club Med 110ft Cat | Grant Dalton | NLZ | 655.2 mn | 27.3 kt |
| 2001 | Cat PlayStation 105ft | Steve Fossett | USA | 687.17 mn | 28.63 kt |
| 2002 | Maiden 2 110ft Cat | A.Cahalan, H.Darvelid, B.Thompson | 694.78 mn | 28.95 kt | |
| 2004 | Orange II 120ft Cat | Bruno Peyron | FRA | 706.2 mn | 29.42 kt |
| 2006 | Orange II 120 ft Cat | Bruno Peyron | FRA | 29.42 mn | 31.95 kt |
| 2007 | Groupama 3 103 ft Tri | Franck Cammas | FRA | 794 mn | 33.08 kt |
| 2009 | Banque Populaire V 131 ft Tri | Pascal Bidegorry | FRA | 908.2 mn | 37.84 mn |
Up to 60 feet
| Date | Boat | Skipper | Country | Distance | Speed |
| 1994 | Primagaz 60ft Tri | Laurent Bourgnon | FRA | 540 mn | 22.5 mn |
| 2006 | Mediatis-Region Aquitane 60ft Cat | Yves Parlier + 5 | FRA | 597.81 mn | 24.91 kt |
| 2006 | 60 ft Brush Sorting | Yvan Bourgnon | SUI | 610.45 mn | 25.76 kt |
| 2007 | Popular Bank 60ft Tri | Pascal Bidegorry | FRA | 667 mn | 27.8 kt |
Solitaire
| Date | Boat | Skipper | Country | Distance | Speed |
| 1994 | Primagaz 60ft Tri | Laurent Bourgnon | FRA | 540 mn | 22.5 kt |
| 2005 | Idec 90ft Tri | Francis Joyon | FRA | 542.7 mn | 22.6 kt |
| 2006 | Mediatis-Region Aquitaine 60ft Cat | Yves Parlier | FRA | 586 mn | 24.41 kt |
| 2006 | Brossard 60ft Tri | Yvan Bourgnon | SUI | 610.45 mn | 25.76 kt |
| 2007 | Idec 98ft Tri | Francis Joyon | FRA | 613.5 mn | 25.56 kt |
| 2007 | Sodebo 105 ft Tri | Thomas Coville | FRA | 619.3 mn | 25.8 kt |
| 2008 | Sodebo 105 ft Tri | Thomas Coville | FRA | 628.5 mn | 26.2 kt |
| 2012 | Idec 98ft Tri | Francis Joyon | FRA | 666.2 mn | 27.75 kt |
| 2014 | Banque Populaire 7 103 ft Sorting | Armel Le Cleac'h | FRA | 682.85 mn | 28.45 kt |
| 2016 | Sodebo4 120ft Tri | Thomas Coville | FRA | 718.5 mn | 29.93 kt |
Solitaire, up to 60 feet
| Date | Boat | Skipper | Country | Distance | Speed |
| 1994 | Primagaz 60ft Tri | Laurent Bourgnon | FRA | 540 mn | 22.5 kt |
| 2006 | Mediatis-Region Aquitaine 60ft Cat | Yves Parlier | FRA | 586 mn | 24.41 kt |
| 2006 | Brossard 60ft Tri | Yvan Bourgnon | SUI | 610.45 mn | 25.76 kt |
Monohull
| Date | Boat | Skipper | Country | Distance | Speed |
| 1994 | Intrum Justitia 64ft | Lawrie Smith | GBR | 428 mn | 17.83 kt |
| 1997 | Toshiba 64ft | Dennis Connor | USA | 434.4 mn | 18.1 kt |
| 1997 | Silk Cut 64ft | Lawrie Smith | GBR | 449.1 mn | 18.71 kt |
| 2002 | Illbruck 64ft | John Kostecki | USA | 484 mn | 20.16 kt |
| 2003 | MariCha IV 140ft | Robert Miller | GBR | 525.7 mn | 31.9 kt |
| 2005 | Movistar 70ft | Bouwe Becking | NED | 530.19 mn | 22.09 kt |
| 2005 | ABN AMRO ONE 70ft | Mike Sanderson | NZL | 546.14 mn | 22.75 kt |
| 2006 | ABN AMRO ONE 70ft | Sebastien Josse | FRA | 562.96 mn | 23.45 kt |
| 2008 | Ericsson 4 70ft | Torben Grael | BRA | 596.6 mn | 24.85 kt |
| 2015 | Comanche 100ft | Jim Clark/Ken Read | USA | 618.01 mn | 25.75 kt |
Single-handed monohull
| Date | Boat | Skipper | Country | Distance | Speed |
| 2000 | Union Bancaire Privee 60ft | Dominique Wavre | FRA | 430.7 mn | 17.94 kt |
| 2003 | AT Racing 60ft | Alex Thomson | GBR | 468.72 mn | 19.53 kt |
| 2012 | Macif 60ft | François Gabart | FRA | 534.48 mn | 22.27 kt |
Monohull up to 60 feet
| Date | Boat | Skipper | Country | Distance | Speed |
| 2000 | Union Bancaire Privee 60ft | Dominique Wavre | FRA | 430.7 mn | 17.94 kt |
| 2001 | Armor Lux 60ft | Bernard Stamm | SUI | 467.7 mn | 19.48 kt |
| 2003 | AT Racing 60ft | Alex Thomson | GBR | 468.72 mn | 19.53 mn |
| 2007 | Hugo Boss 60ft | Alex Thomson/Andrew Cape | GBR | 501.3 mn | 20.9 kt |
| 2011 | Virbac Paprec 60ft | Jean Pierre Dick/Loick Peyron | FRA | 506.333 mn | 21.1 kt |
| 2012 | Macif 60 ft | François Gabart | FRA | 534.48 mn | 22.27 kt |
