True, fellow Frenchman, Marin Marie, made the crossing from New York to Le Havre quicker in 1936 but his boat, called Arielle, was more than twice the size of Yves Kinard’s, and also supplemented engine propulsion with sail power.

In 31 days, Yves Kinard’s Spirit of Arielle – a 6.5-mtere Mayrik P214 Mini Trawler – covered the better part of 4,000 miles at a cruising speed of 5.5 knots. In the process, his single Perkins Marine Power engine was run continuously and used a total of 3,000 litres of diesel oil, averaging 0.75 litres-a-mile, with a minimum consumption of 0.55 litres-a-mile. This, it is claimed, is proof-positive of two key claims long made for Perkins Marine Power engines in general and the M92B in particular, that the marque offers excellent fuel economy and dependable reliability.

Commenting on his arrival in Saint Martin de Ré near La Rochelle, Yves Kinard said: “At a time when fuel is so expensive that yachtsmen look twice before setting sail, and fishermen re-examine their commercial options, I felt it was important to show that technologies exist right now that make it possible to appreciably reduce consumption.”

The naturally aspirated, four-cylinder, 4.4-litre M92B develops its maximum 87hp output at a very comfortable and low stressed 2,400rpm, which makes a major contribution towards reliability. It complies with all known European marine environmental legislation until 2011 and is fully compliant with the European Stage II gaseous and particulate pollutant emissions regulations and the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Tier Two regulations. It also conforms to the EU’s Recreational Craft Directive [RCD].

Since completing his record-breaking trans-Atlantic crossing with Dr Patrick Brachet, Yves Kinard has set about attracting orders for his boat design. Despite its size it has many of the features of a much larger and more expensive vessel, including a toilet and shower, bunks to sleep two, a kitchen with a cooker and sink, a dining area and navigation station.

The engine for Spirit of Arielle was supplied by La Rochelle-based Secodi, the Perkins dealer for France. Parts and service support for all Perkins Marine Power engines is available only through the Perkins distribution network that today numbers 4,000 distributors in 160 countries. Full details on the M92B and all of the other propulsion and onboard generator set engines in the current Perkins Marine Power range, including contact details for the distributor network, are available at www.perkins-sabre.com.