Maybe next time…Elapse time records won’t fall
Dateline: Bermuda 22. July 2008 : George David owner of Rambler and Alex Jackson on Speedboat, the two men vying for line honors in their respective classes, will have to put their record-breaking ambitions on hold for two more years. A light wind blowing up the rhumb line directly from Bermuda has dashed their hopes. Speedboat’s navigator had predicted an ETA of 1500hrs on Sunday. Now, it may be 1500 on Monday before they reach Bermuda, a day late and a little short.
The race has two records, one for Open Division boats, 48hr, 28min, 31sec set by Hasso Plattner’s Morning Glory in 2004, and the ‘official’ record for traditional designs set by Roy Disney’s Pyewacket at 53hr, 39 min 22 min.
Both Rambler and Speedboat will have to settle for line honors now. But we have to remember how the much smaller 66 foot Bella Mente skippered by Hap Fauth slipped over the line well ahead of the 98 foot super-maxi Maximus back in 2006. The new 69 foot Bella Mente is within striking distance if the big boats falter. www.bermudarace.com
