A SOUTH coast yachtsman has been forced to abandon his bid to break the record for the fastest ever circumnavigation of the globe.

Isle of Wight sailor Brian Thompson, pictured, and fellow crew on Banque Populaire V quit the Jules Verne Trophy because of a breakage on the 37-metre maxi trimaran, which can hit speeds of up to 60mph.

Helmsman/trimmer Brian, 48, and the other 13 other people on board were aiming to smash the world record of 48 days, seven hours and 45 minutes.

But after 14 days of sailing, and 324 miles ahead of schedule, they were stopped in their tracks by a damaged daggerboard caused by a collision with something under the water a few hundred miles from the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.

The crew tried everything to repair the broken piece without success and were forced to pull out.

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Dad-of-two Brian, from Cowes, is one of the country’s leading ocean sailors and recently came fifth in the Vendee Globe race. Before setting off on the record bid he told the Daily Echo’s Sail Solent: “Banque Populaire V is the fastest boat in the world right now.

“If anyone can break this record it’s us, and it could be a record that stays for years.

“It’s the ultimate sailing record, it would be fantastic to hold it.”

The team will now head north to their base in Lorient, France.

Last night skipper Pascal Bidegorry said: “I am determined to do this round the world and to beat that record. We have both a reliable boat on which we worked really well and a sporty degree of quality that makes me think that Banque Populaire V deserves so much better than what we are offering it today.”

Meanwhile fellow Isle of Wight mariner Chris Stanmore-Major set off from Wellington, New Zealand, yesterday on the third leg of the Velux 5 Oceans round-the-world race His 60ft boat, the Spartan, is sitting in fourth place overall.

Chris, a 33-year-old marine engineer from Cowes, is the only Briton in the 29,000-mile, five-leg race that started in La Rochelle in France in November last year and is expected to finish in June.

This leg is to Punta del Este in Uruguay and sees the fleet crossing the Southern Ocean and rounding Cape Horn, the southernmost tip of South America.

Chris said: “Cape Horn is a new challenge for me. I have never done it before but I know what is coming and how rough it’s going to be and I’m not looking forward to it. The boat proved itself so much on the last leg, she really got smashed around and came out on top.

“I know she can take whatever is thrown at her on the next leg.”