Yacht Sets Record Time From New York To San Francisco

A racing yacht set the record time from New York to San Francisco, according to organizers. The racing yacht, named the Maserati, docked in San Francisco on Saturday.

The 70-foot Maserati took 47 days to sail from coast to coast in a 13,225-mile journey around Cape Horn.

The journey is considered one of the most challenging sailing undertakings in the world, reports ESPN. Judy Laws, a spokeswoman for the event, stated that the yacht beat the previous time “by a little more than 10 days.”

Andy Turpin, managing editor of Latitude 38, a Marin County-based sailing magazine, added:

“This is a big deal. This is one of the most difficult sailing records.”

The most recent record is 57 days, three hours, and two minutes and was set in 1998. Laws stated that the yacht that docked in San Francisco Saturday made the journey in 47 days, two hours, and 33 minutes.

USA Today notes that the Maserati had an eight-member crew led by Italian skipper Giovanni Soldini, 47. It left port in New York City on New Year’s Eve.

Calm winds on Friday delayed the vessel’s expected arrival by a few hours, though the crew was still greeted at the dock by a host of dignitaries. There to greet the yacht was Mauro Battocchi, Consul General of Italy in San Francisco, along with several others. Laws stated of the journey, “It’s just been a happy, happy time.”

Organizers of the journey called the yacht’s trek the fastest passage of a single-hulled sailing vessel from New York to San Francisco.