Back in September of '08, I was fortunate enough to go sailing on this boat, Sodeb'O, out her home port of La Trinite sur Mer, France. Sodeb'O is a boat specifically designed for big ocean speed record setting. She goes after stuff like the Jules Verne, Round the World, Trophy, the routes across the Atlantic and any and all records that are conveniently within her grasp.

Right now, she and her skipper, Thomas Coville, hold the solo crewed speed/distance record for a 24 hour period of 628.5 nautical miles at an average speed of 26.2 knots, as well as the fastest solo time from New York to England of 5 days, 19 hours.

Sodeb'O differs from the AC boats in that she is sailed solo, is longer, but not as wide and has a smaller rig. The AC boats would break into pieces in the conditions in which Sodeb'O thrives, but the AC boats are faster in smooth water conditions.

Still, it was an unforgettable experience to be loafing along at 26 knots in 18 knots of wind off the Brittany coast on a warm afternoon. Driving the boat for half an hour was even more of a rush.