Ellen MacArthur set a new record as she crossed the equator for the last time on her solo round-the-world voyage.
MacArthur reached the equator at 2145 GMT on Thursday after 60 days, 13 hours and 35 minutes at sea.
She was one day and 10 hours inside the time set by Francis Joyon at that time, and had forged 35 hours inside record pace by 1900 GMT on Friday.
There was a further boost when she said there was an 80% chance she was free of the notoriously light doldrums winds.
"I've got 18 knots of breeze, upwind, all good signs so I just hope we're through," she said.
"I can't believe it, it's not what we expected. There's another band of cloud to the north but we've had these north-easterlies pretty good for about four hours."
" I gave Neptune a silver charm from my necklace - I felt it was worth the sacrifice "
MacArthur's current advantage owes much to Joyon's poor two-day run at the same stage when he set the record last February.
She will need a strong finish as the Frenchman averaged more than 400 miles a day on the last four days of his voyage.
MacArthur has already set records for reaching the equator heading south from the English Channel, and for rounding the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn.
She made the customary offering to sea god Neptune as she crossed the equator for the second time.
"I gave him a silver charm from the necklace I wear. It has been with me a while and means a lot to me, but I felt it was worth the sacrifice," she said.
MacArthur must cross the finish line at Ushant, off the French coast, no later than 0704 GMT on 9 February to break Joyon's record of 72 days 22 hours 54 minutes and 22 seconds set last February.