British yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur narrowly missed out on setting a new transatlantic record today by just an hour-and-a-quarter.

A top racing yachtsman has advertised on internet auction site eBay for a sponsor with bidding starting at £1.4m (€2.1m).

Yachtsman Francis Joyon’s record-breaking solo round-the-world voyage in just 73 days was today hailed as “incredible” by the first person to sail the globe non-stop.