Quentin Debois smashes Mini 6.50 transatlantic record by six days
Another week, another Atlantic record tumbles.
Belgian skipper Quentin Debois has smashed the world record for crossing the Atlantic east to west aboard a Mini 6.50, completing the 4,466-nautical-mile passage from Cadiz to San Salvador in the Bahamas in 24 days, 19 hours and 31 minutes. That's six days quicker than Aina Bauza's previous benchmark set in April 2024.
To put this in perspective: the Mini 6.50 is the smallest racing boat capable of making the Atlantic crossing. Just 6.5 metres of carbon fibre between you and 3,000 miles of open ocean. It's not for the faint-hearted.
What makes Debois's achievement even more remarkable is his backstory. The 38-year-old only took up sailing in 2018. Seven years later, he's a world record holder. His first solo transatlantic came in 2023. Now he's the first Belgian to hold an Atlantic crossing record.
The numbers are impressive, but anyone who's followed offshore racing knows the real battle is mental. Three and a half weeks alone at sea, constantly pushing for speed, making calculated decisions on minimal sleep. Debois's team praised his 'steely mindset' throughout.
He's not hanging around, either. In June, Debois will attempt the west-east crossing from New York to Lizard Point – a faster but notoriously more demanding route through the North Atlantic. The target: Jay Thomson's record of 17 days and 9 hours, set in August 2023.
Note: The world record and the precise time of the crossing still need to be ratified by the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC). The official Black Box (GPS) that was on board Quentin's yacht will enable the record to be ratified.
