In the ever-inventive world of trying to find new records to break, the 110-foot maxicat Gitana 13 picked a pretty neat one. Chasing the record for fastest sail time along the old Clipper Ship route — New York to San Francisco.
The World Sailing Speed Record Council announced yesterday the ratification of a new world record for a New York to San Francisco run. Skipper Lionel Lemonchois (FRA — naturally), and nine crew sailed the route from January 16 to February 28, 2008, setting an elapsed time of 43 days, three minutes and 18 seconds.
To put this in perspective: The Baltimore clipper, Flying Cloud owned this record from 1853 to 1989 when it was broken by the 60-footer Thursdays Child. The latter held the record until February.
Flying Cloud, a 235-footer launched in 1851, did the 15,000 mile trip — Captain Josiah Perkins Creesy at the wheel — in 89 days eight hours in 1853.
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