Mari Cha IV Starts Transatlantic Record Attempt
by Victoria Fuller 2 Oct 2003 21:54 BST
Robert Miller’s 140-foot super yacht, Mari Cha IV, started its west to east transatlantic record attempt this afternoon at 17:39:41 BST.
Mari Cha IV set sail with Miller at the wheel and a crew of 23 of the world’s best sailors on board. The record attempt officially started as they passed Ambrose Lighthouse off New York Harbor.
To capture the current record, set by Swiss sailor Bernard Stamm on 1st February 2001, they must sail to Lizard Point, Cornwall in less 8 days, 20 hours, 55 minutes and 35 seconds. But Miller and his crew are not just aiming to break the record, as they hope to rewrite sailing history by becoming the first monohull to sail across the Atlantic in less than 8 days. They also hope to become the first monohull to ever sail over 500 miles in a 24 hour period.
Miller, a 70 year old British billionaire has spent four years developing Mari Cha IV. The schooner, which has only been in the water since August, is potentially capable of speeds of over 40 knots. It has two massive 45 metre masts but weighs only 50 tonnes thanks to an ultra lightweight carbon-fibre hull.
The west to east transatlantic speed record is one of the most prestigious records in world sailing. It was first set in 1905 when the famous American sailor Charlie Barr sailed his yacht Atlantic from the US to the UK in 12 days, 4 hours and 1 minute.
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