After five months at sea, Monnet is likely to stay away from sailing in the immediate future.

BREST, FRANCE — Phillipe Monnet is scheduled to cross the finish line off Ushant this afternoon, concluding his wrong-way, solo circumnavigation. After five months at sea, Monnet will be welcomed by hundreds on the docks in Brest, France as he claims this grueling record, besting Englishman Mike Golding's 161-day record set in 1993-94. The past 24 hours have seen the Open 60 UUNET post 260 miles at a 10.8-knot average in the sprint for the finish line. For Monnet, who has spent a great portion of his life at sea, landfall will present a bit of an adjustment. "It's strange, but I'm not thinking too much about the finish yet. I'm used to living with my boat, and I'm fighting fit and perfectly relaxed."
Among the welcoming crowds at the Moulin Blanc Marina, no one is looking forward to the solo skipper's arrival more than his mother, Madame Monnet, who has been following her son as he battled icebergs, fogs, towering seas, and even a close encounter with a volcano. "I always thought he would succeed because he has incredible physical stamina and an unshakeable morale. He went through a difficult period when he was in the extreme south because he had much worse weather than expected, with ice, fog and enormous waves. He was fairly exhausted physically and morally but sailing is his passion and I think that he is very happy to have accomplished this voyage … above all I'm happy to see him back in one piece." Northerly winds of 15 to 25 knots are expected to accompany Monnet to the finish, and an overcast sky over the next few days will not be enough to dampen the festivities. For more on the homecoming, see www.70degreesud.com