The American adventurer completed the course in his catamaran PlayStation in four days, 16 hours, nine minutes and 36 seconds.

It beat the previous best by almost an hour and regained his own record in the process.

Fossett retook the record - by 54 minutes and 47 seconds - which had been snatched from him by Tracy Edwards' Maiden II, skippered by Brian Thompson, in September this year.

Fossett first held the record in 1994 in the 60ft trimaran, Lakota which circumnavigated in five days and 21 hours.

Fossett said after his latest record: "This is great - a big success - very hard won. We've worked hard all night."