Maiden 2 record

James Boyd caught up with skipper Brian Thompson to find about their secretive round Britain record

At this point the crew were getting worried about how they were progressing against Geronimo. And rightly so. Had the wind not picked up for Maiden 2 on the final passage up the Channel it is very probable that Geronimo may have beaten them. "It was a very happy moment when we heard we'd got Geronimo," said Thompson. "If it had stayed as forecast it would have been very touch and go."

They eventually flew across the line off Ventnor at 06.52 BST this morning in a time of 4 days 17 hours 3minutes and 23 secs.

"Mostly we were surprised as the weather was expected or better," said Thompson on reflection. "I thought it was at best 50-50, certainly I wasn't expecting to beat the the record by 28 hours. We sailed pretty fast most of the time, although it was not as hard as the transat."

The crew was marginally different from normal with Adrienne Cahalan ashore (she had an exam she couldn't miss) and Sue on board navigating. The crew also had the addition of former Royal & SunAlliance crewwoman Hannah Harwood and another Frenchwoman Kiny Parade who sailed the Whitbread on board EF Education. They sailed with 14 this time (9 women and 5 men), compared to 13 for the transatlantic and 16 for the Route of Discovery.

Throughout the race there was a position blackout from Maiden 2 which Thompson explained was for tactical reasons. "We were ahead and if we gave away our position and speed then it was possible Oliver de Kersauson could sail around the holes and in the windy stuff if he saw we were doing 30 knots, he'd do the same thing. But it was a fun thing to race someone else."

Thompson says it is still hard to draw any conclusion as to whether de Kersauson's newer 110ft trimaran is faster than their 110ft catamaran. Compared to his trip on Lakota in 1994 Thompson says that Maiden 2 is much faster in the big seas and perhaps 10% in medium reaching. A modern day 60ft trimaran could demolish them in light conditions.

Maiden 2 is set to do more records before making their attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy, which, contrary to initial announcements about the campaign, looks increasingly likely to made with a mixed crew, rather than an all-female one.

In the meantime there is the still matter of the elusive sponsor...