ENZA broke the record in April 1994 in 74 days 22h 17 minutes

Description

Forced to abandon their attempt in 1993, Peter Blake and Robin Knox-Johnston returned to the Jules Verne Trophy course in 1994. Their catamaran, ENZA New Zealand, was now ranked the largest racing sailboat in the world. Start date: January 16, 1994, at 2:00 PM. Repaired at the McMullen & Wing shipyard in Auckland and reshaped for the race, the "big cat" now measured 28 meters. Its hull was reinforced below the waterline, its sails were reshaped, and its structure was lightened. For their second attempt, Peter Blake and Robin Knox-Johnston recruited six crew members, compared to four the previous time. Ed Danby, Don Wright, David Alan-Williams, and cameraman George Johns were joined by two new crew members, Barry Mackay and Angus Buchanan. The Sir Peter Blake Trust Collection / Alan Sefton. Photo Philippe Millereau © DPPI Agency
Once again this year, they are not alone in taking on the challenge. Olivier de Kersauson is back, aboard the trimaran Lyonnaise des Eaux Dumez, which is also one of the largest multihulls in the world.
We learn that the "ODK" trimaran reached the equator some nine hours after ENZA. Ahead of schedule, the catamaran of Blake and Knox-Johnston reached this first major geographical marker after 7 days, 4 hours, and 24 minutes at sea; 39 hours less than Bruno Peyron in 1993.
Because it is above all this potential competitor that concerns the New Zealand and British skippers. The distances covered by ENZA, the boat's average speed, are constantly being compared with the past achievements of the first holder of the Jules Verne Trophy.
The catamaran's performance was not affected by the bad weather. Since entering the Indian Ocean, the boat's average speed has climbed to 16.57 knots. ENZA is widening the gap between itself and its phantom rival, Commodore Explorer, leaving Lyonnaise des Eaux Dumez, its direct competitor, more than 1,400 nautical miles (2,592 km) behind. ENZA leaves the Pacific five days ahead of Commodore Explorer. But Kersauzon is close behind. Twenty-six hours after Blake and Knox-Johnston, he too crosses the Drake Passage. The crew of ENZA New Zealand crosses the finish line of the Jules Verne Trophy on April 1, 1994, after 74 days, 22 hours, 17 minutes, and 22 seconds of racing around the world. Bruno Peyron's record is beaten by nearly five days.