Steve Fossett Challenges | Miami - New York Sailing Record

Miami - New York Sailing Record

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May 22nd 2001 - 23.00 GMT

Miami - New York sailing record smashed by PlayStation

Fossett & Crew Knock Nearly 17 Hours Off Previous Time

New York, NY, USA 22 May 2001:
American skipper Steve Fossett and his international crew of 12, aboard 125' maxi catamaran PlayStation, have today set a new Miami - New York world sailing speed record. Their time of 2 days 5 hours 55 mins 8 secs beats the previous mark by the considerable margin of 16 hours 55 mins.

PlayStation crossed the start line at South Point Tower, Miami at 1242 EDT (1642 GMT) on Sunday (20 May) and passed Ambrose Light, New York at 1837 EDT (2237 GMT) Tuesday (22 May) evening.

The previous record for this passage - 2 days 22 hours 50 mins, was set by Data Explorer, co-skippered by Bruno Peyron (France) and Cam Lewis (USA), June 1999.

A pleased Steve Fossett - reflecting on setting his 14th World Record in sailing - spoke tonight by sat-phone from the boat, just after passing New York:

"It is nice to be back in the record business! And for a number of the crew it was their first World Record. Winds were quite moderate really - we started in only 10 kts of wind and we've probably seen a 15 kt average wind speed. But it has been consistent - except for the past few hours, anyway! And PlayStation excelled in these conditions. We covered 505 nm the first day - and 503 the second. So this has been a very good trip - not just for the new record, but because we've really shown her potential again."

PlayStation and her crew are now sailing on to Newport, RI and will arrive early Wednesday morning, where final preparations for an attempt on the 11-year old TransAtlantic sailing record (NYC - UK) will begin. Steve Fossett is shortly off to Australia however, from where he will attempt the first Solo Round the World Balloon flight. Steve's 'Solo Spirit' project goes on weather watch on May 29.

PlayStation's Miami - New York Record Crew:

Steve Fossett (USA), skipper
Andrew Harrall (NZ), navigator
Ben Wright (Aus), watch captain
Dave Scully USA), watch captain
Pete Melvin (USA)
Roland Gaebler (Ger)
Dawn Riley (USA)
Dave Calvert (USA)
Peter Hogg (NZ)
Chuck Hawley (USA)
Paul Van Dyke (USA)
Shaun Biddulph (GB)
Anthony Hussey (Aus)

Bob Rice (USA) was meteorologist.

May 21st 2001 - 11.00 GMT

PlayStation Enroute for New York

Latest Position: 21 May 2001 11:00GMT
31 39.920 N,
77 49.520 W
20.6 knots

In an email to Mission Control this morning, skipper Steve Fossett informed us that maxi cat PlayStation and her crew of 13 crossed the start line at South Point Tower, Miami at 1242 Eastern Daylight Time (1642 GMT) yesterday (Sunday 21 May).

Fossett reported "After 17 hours we are making good progress and averaging 21 knots."

Their target is the current record for this passage - 2 days 22 hours 50 mins, held by Explorer, co-skippered by Bruno Peyron (France) and Cam Lewis (USA) and set on 2 June 1999.

Further updates on PlayStation's progress will be available shortly.

May 11th 2001 - 18.00 GMT

Weather Frustrates PlayStation

Mission Control, UK 11 May 2001
Skipper Steve Fossett announced this morning that maxi-cat PlayStation will remain in West Palm Beach, Florida until next week at least. Crew and boat are ready to sail but are plans are being hampered by unpredictable Miami - New York weather patterns.

Fossett told his crew "Our hopes have vanished for a Tuesday 15 May departure from Miami. The model forecasts have changed radically since yesterday giving North and North East winds over much of the course instead of the South West shown yesterday."

"We will remain testing out of West Palm for the next few days and hope to receive an acceptable forecast for next week."

Further departure status updates will be available shortly.

April 30th 2001 - 11.00 GMT

PlayStation Targets Miami-New York and TransAt Records

Mission Control, UK 30 April 2001
PlayStation skipper Steve Fossett has announced that the rigging replacements being made on the 125' maxi-catamaran at her current location in West Palm Beach, Florida, USA are almost complete, and crew and boat are ready to embark on an exciting season of record breaking sailing.

PlayStation and her international crew plan to test sail this week and be fully prepared for an attempt at the Miami-New York record from 5 May. The current record for this passage is 2 days 22 hours 50 mins, held by Explorer, co-skippered by Bruno Peyron (France) and Cam Lewis (USA) and set on 2 June 1999.

On arrival in New York the team will go on weather standby for an attempt at the 11 year old NY-UK TransAtlantic record - 6 days 13 hours 13 mins 32 secs held by Serge Madec (France).

Fossett, looking forward to the challenges ahead, said "The TransAtlantic record is perhaps the most difficult to break of the major ocean records. PlayStation is the biggest and most powerful of the 4 new unlimited catamarans - now we will try to prove she is the fastest."

Further European based record sailing and a UK-USA TransAtlantic are under consideration for later in 2001.