Following a one-month preparation, the 70ft sailing yacht Maserati left the Dennis Conner´s North Cove last night to challenge the Trans-Atlantic Record. The weather conditions were perfect, providing an extraordinary evening in Lower Manhattan.
70ft racing yacht Maserati before leaving NYC
On board the luxury yacht Maserati is the international crew of: Italian Giovanni Soldini (skipper), American Brad Van Liew (navigator and watch leader), Spaniard Javier de la Plaza (helm, pit), Frenchmen Sebastien Audigane (helm, trimmer) and Ronan Le Goff (helm, bowman), Italians Guido Broggi (boat captain), Corrado Rossignoli (bowman), and Brit Tom Gall (second bowman).
They crossed the starting line where Ambrose Light was positioned at 3:20 a.m. this morning.
The Trans-Atlantic Record they are trying to break is from New York to the Lizard Rock off England. The record currently stands at 6 days, 17 hours and 52 minutes and was set by the 43m superyacht Senso One (ex Mari Cha IV) in 2003.
The distance is about 2,925 miles and they have to race dangerously close to icebergs off Newfoundland. The latest data shows several icebergs as far south as 44 degrees North. Maserati is currently at 40 degrees North and headed northeast at 22 knots.
“We have waited for so long, but it was worth it,” explained Soldini before leaving Dennis Conner’s North Cove. “This low pressure seems to be the right one to try and break a speed record as challenging as the North Atlantic one. We are confident and in high spirits.”
