Fossett confirms Jules Verne attempt

PlayStation renamed and to set off in January

American skipper Steve Fossett confirmed today that he will be targeting the biggest record in sailing - the Jules Verne Trophy from January 2004 at the helm of his 125ft maxi-catamaran.

Currently holder of 10 of the 13 fastest World Record passages in sailing as certified by the World Sailing Speed Record Council, Fossett and his crew made sailing history in October 2001 setting a new TransAtlantic record of 4 days 17 hours - shattering the previous record by over 43 hours. Twice he has set the 24 Hour Record (1999, 2001), signifying the world's fastest sailboat.

"We are going. I regard the Round the World as the most important of all sailing records and it's the one we have never held. The time has come to get committed. I aspire to join the list of the great Jules Verne record skippers: Bruno Peyron, Olivier de Kersauson, Peter Blake and Robin Knox-Johnston."

Cheyenne is the new name planned for the former PlayStation. The catamaran is undergoing a refit in Norfolk, Virginia. An assault on the 24 hour record will be made during October with the goal of logging the first 700 mile day. The current record is 694.78 nautical miles set by Tracy Edwards' maxi catamaran Maiden II in June, 2002. The round the world crew will be named in September. Final preparations will be made in southern Europe during November and December.

Originally set up in the early 1990s, the Trophée Jules Verne was originally for the first boat to sail around the world non-stop from a start/finish line betwee Ushant in France and Lizard Point, England. It was first broken by Bruno Peyron on board Commodore Explorer in 1993. Over the past 11 years there have been 13 attempts to set this record - with just four successful, the current record being once again by Bruno Peyron. Peyron with the crew of the 110ft catamaran Orange last year set a new benchmark time of 64 days 8 hours, 37 minutes, 24 seconds.

Fossett will not be alone in attempting to break the Jules Verne Trophy record this winter. After so nearly achieving this goal earlier this year Olivier de Kersauson has confirmed to The Daily Sail that he too will be making an attempt.