The first around the world sailing record for circumnavigation of the world can be attributed to the surviving crew of Ferdinand Magellan's expedition, including the last captain Juan Sebastián Elcano who completed their journey in 1522.

Although not in a single voyage but Magellan was technically the first to circumnavigate the globe since he was killed in the Mactan Islands and while in the Kingdom of Portugal's service, Magellan had already reached the Malay Archipelago in Southeast Asia on previous voyages traveling east (from 1505 to 1511–1512). By visiting this area again but now traveling west, Magellan achieved a nearly complete personal circumnavigation of the globe for the first time in history.^[1][2]

The first solo record was set by Joshua Slocum in the Spray (1898). The current record holders are IDEC 3, skippered by Francis Joyon in 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds for a crewed journey, and François Gabart with Macif in 42 days, 16 hours, 40 minutes and 35 seconds for a solo journey.

Most races or solo attempts start from Europe. Due to the configuration of the continents, sailing around the world consists of sailing on the Southern Ocean around the Antarctica continent, passing south of Cape Horn, Cape of Good Hope and Cape Leeuwin. Since 1918 the Panama Canal is an option but the locks must be entered and exited using engine power. Large stretches of the canal can be crossed under sail power.

Sailing around the world can be done by two directions: eastward or westward. The dominant winds and currents (outside tropical areas) make the voyage eastwards on the Southern hemisphere faster, most skippers and yachts who race prefer this route. Today, the multihulls perform much better than monohulls and hold the best times. Leisure yacht skippers who prefer tropical seas more often go westward, using the trade winds (and the Panama canal). The Jules Verne Trophy is awarded for the fastest qualifying circumnavigation, starting from an imaginary line between the Créac'h lighthouse on Ushant island, France, and the Lizard Lighthouse, UK.

The records are homologated by the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC).^[3] WSSRC rules state that qualifying round-the-world voyages must be at least 21,600 nmi long, calculated along the shortest possible track from the starting port and back that does not cross land and does not go below 63°S. The great-circle distance formulas are to be used, assuming that the great circle length is 21,600 nmi. It is allowed to have one single waypoint to lengthen the calculated track. The equator must be crossed.^[4] In reality, this means that the boat should pass a waypoint at or not far from the antipode of the starting port of the journey (the exact position depends on how short the shortest possible track is). For example, the Vendée Globe starts at 46°N 2°W, has a waypoint at 57°S 180°E, and barely makes the distance requirement. The participants don't have to go to the antipode at 46°S 178°E since the rounding of Africa gives extra distance.

The most famous races around the world are:

• The Vendée Globe , a non-stop solo race, currently run using the IMOCA 60 Class.
• The Ocean Race, a stopping fully crewed race, currently using the Volvo Ocean 65 and IMOCA 60 class. Previously known as the Whitbread Round The World Race and the Volvo Ocean Race.
• The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race , a stopping crewed race for amateur crews using the Clipper 70 Class.
• The Golden Globe Race has returned since 2018 as a retro sailing race without the use of modern technology for navigation.

Former races including:

• The Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, held in 1968-1969, the first round-the-world yacht race.
• The BT Global Challenge, was a race held every four years and followed the westward route.
• The Race, was a race held in 2000, involving multihulls.
• The Oryx Quest, held in 2005, starting from Qatar.
• The Velux 5 Oceans Race , a stopping solo race, currently run using the IMOCA 60 Class previously known as the BOC Challenge, later as Around Alone.
• The Barcelona World Race , a non-stop two handed race, currently run using the IMOCA 60 Class.

From the first round-the-world yacht race (Sunday Times Golden Globe Race) in 1968, to November 2020, around 200 sailors tried their luck in a monohull and less than 100 managed to complete the course, mainly in the context of the Vendée Globe.^{[citation needed]}

Only 6 sailors achieved the Westward route facing the dominant winds and currents.^{[citation needed]}

Only 4 sailors managed to complete a round-the-world tour in a single-handed multihull without stopover and without assistance:

• Francis Joyon (2004) 72 days, (2008) 57 days
• Ellen MacArthur (2005) 71 days
• Thomas Coville (2016) 49 days, (2011) 61 days, (2008) 59 days
• Francois Gabart (2017) 42 days

Only 3 sailors have raced non-stop solo around the world in both directions. Mike Golding and Dee Caffari both set WSSRC Westbound world records using Global Challenge boats and also finishing the Eastbound Vendee Globe Race. In 2018 Jean-Luc Van Den Heede also managed this achievement.

This route is the more demanding one, as it faces the dominant winds and currents. There are fewer attempts and records.

Outright Single-handed

More information Year, Time ...

Year	Time	Skipper	Yacht	Type	Note
2004	122d 14h 03m 49s	Jean-Luc Van Den Heede (FRA)	Adrien	Monohull	Solo attempt non-stop. Arrived 19 March.
2000	151d 19h 54m	Philippe Monnet (FRA)	Uunet	Monohull	Solo attempt non-stop. Arrived 9 June.
1994	167d 7h 42m 54s	Mike Golding (GBR)	Group 4	Monohull	Fastest westward journey
1987	257d 21h 18m	Jon Sanders (AUS)	Parry Endeavour	Monohull	Triple non-stop solo circumnavigation, 1st and 3rd circumnavigations were westwards[19]
1971	292d	Chay Blyth (GBR)	British Steel	Monohull	Started 18 October 1970, arrived 6 August 1971
1898	1160d	Joshua Slocum (USA)	Spray	Monohull	First solo circumnavigation; started 24 April 1895, arrived 27 June 1898

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Female Non-stop Single-handed

More information Year, Time ...

Year	Time	Skipper	Yacht	Type	Note	Ref.
2006	178d 17h 55m 42s	Dee Caffari (GBR)	Aviva	Challenge 72	Later also completed an Eastabout solo circumnavigation	[27][28]

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The rules for intermediate records are set by the WSSRC.

• Equator to Equator
• Indian Ocean
• Pacific Ocean
• South Atlantic Ocean

South Atlantic Ocean

From Cape Horn (longitude 67°16'W) to Cape Agulhas, South Africa (longitude 20°E)

More information Date, Time ...

Date	Time	Skipper	Yacht	Type	Crew
17 March 2005	11d 10h 22m 13s	Tony Bullimore (UK)	Doha	Multihull	Crewed

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From Jules Verne Trophy starting line (Ushant) to Equator (out of WSSRC rule)

More information Date, Time ...

Date	Time	Skipper	Yacht	Type	Crew
27 November 2011	5d 14h 55m[31]	Loïck Peyron (FRA)	Banque Populaire V	Multihull	Crewed
11 November 2009	5d 15h 23m[32]	Franck Cammas (FRA)	Groupama 3	Multihull	Crewed
6 February 2010	5d 19h 07m[33]	Franck Cammas (FRA)	Groupama 3	Multihull	Crewed
30 January 2008	6d 6h 24m[34]	Franck Cammas (FRA)	Groupama 3	Multihull	Crewed
2003	6d 11h 26m	Olivier de Kersauson (FRA)	Geronimo	Multihull	Crewed
30 November 2007	6d 16h 58m[35]	Francis Joyon (FRA)	IDEC 2	Multihull	Single-handed
31 January 2005	7d 02h 56m	Bruno Peyron (FRA)	Orange II	Multihull	Crewed

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From Equator to Cape of Good Hope (out of WSSRC rules)

More information Date, Time ...

Date	Time	Skipper	Yacht	Type	Crew
4 December 2011	6d 06h 53m[36]	Loïck Peyron (FRA)	Banque Populaire V	Multihull	Crewed. Also beats the record Ushant - Cape of Good Hope in 11d 21h and 48m
6 February 2008	7d 02h 23m[37]	Franck Cammas (FRA)	Groupama 3	Multihull	Crewed
7 February 2005	7d 05h 23m[38]	Bruno Peyron (FRA)	Orange II	Multihull	Crewed
15 February 2010	8d 20h 40m[37]	Franck Cammas (FRA)		Multihull	Crewed

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From Cape Horn to Equator (out of WSSRC rules)

From the cape Horn, cutting the longitude 67°16'W, up to the Equator

More information Date, Time ...

Date	Time	Skipper	Yacht	Type	Crew
30 December 2011	07d 5h and 0m [39]	Loïck Peyron (FRA)	Banque Populaire V	Multihull	Crewed
26 February 2005	08d 5h and 36m [39]	Bruno Peyron (FRA)	Orange II	Multihull	Crewed
2004	10d 10h and 47m [39]	Steve Fossett (USA)	Cheyenne	Multihull	Crewed
2002	11d 1h and 57m [39]	Bruno Peyron (FRA)	Orange	Multihull	Crewed
2004	12d 10h and 25m [39]	Olivier de Kersauson (FRA)	Geronimo	Multihull	Crewed

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From Equator to Jules Verne Trophy finishing line (Ushant) (out of WSSRC rules)

More information Date, Time ...

Date	Time	Skipper	Yacht	Type	Crew
2010	06d 10h and 44m [39]	Franck Cammas (FRA)	Groupama 3	Multihull	Crewed
2004	08d 6h and 42m [39]	Steve Fossett (USA)	Cheyenne	Multihull	Crewed
2004	09d 11h and 7m [39]	Olivier de Kersauson (FRA)	Geronimo	Multihull	Crewed
2005	09d 11h and 15m [39]	Bruno Peyron (FRA)	Orange II	Multihull	Crewed
2002	11d 3h and 48m [39]	Bruno Peyron (FRA)	Orange	Multihull	Crewed

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• Circumnavigation
• List of circumnavigations
• List of youth solo sailing circumnavigations

Competitions and prizes

• Global Challenge
• Jules Verne Trophy
• The race
• Oryx Quest
• Vendée Globe

Other speed sailing records

• Speed sailing record
• World Sailing Speed Record Council
• Transatlantic sailing record