Fastest circumnavigation in a powered boat

What to remember

A wave-piercing trimaran called Earthrace completed the fastest powered-boat circumnavigation on 27 June 2008: 60 d 23 h 49 min.

The time covers the whole voyage around the Earth, the complete navigation that gives circumnavigation its meaning.

The idea has a long history. The first circumnavigation of the Earth was the Magellan Expedition, which left Sanlucar de Barrameda, Spain, in 1519 and returned in 1522 after crossing the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. Since commercial aviation took off in the mid 20th century, going around the globe takes days rather than years; the challenge has shifted towards endurance, speed and less conventional methods.