One lone sailboat with a mix of curves and fluid lettering against hard concrete and sharp angles of the New York City skyline. Like the her sister automobiles she commands attention of the North Cove passerbys and probably more than one armchair sailor gazing down from the multitude of windows sitting just above her mast.
She looks hot on this chilly damp spring day. Having lost weight since her last big apple showing. A couple thousand pounds of weight says Brad Van Liew. Extra weight, needless weight, weight that did nothing but slow her down from her purpose. She was given a tuck before Giovanni Soldini, skipper and Italian sailing legend set out to break new records. Souped up and ready to rumble. She is souped up in her nether regions as well.
Maserati has been outfitted with a lighter and deeper keel to further reduce weight and give her team the best possible odds at breaking the ever harder to break monohull sailing records. Having already set the bar for the Cadiz-San Salvado record for future attempts she is now in New York awaiting a chance at the 24 hour record and the North Atlantic record from New York to Lizard off the United Kingdom.
Maserati will challege the north atlantic record between New York and Cape Lizard (UK) a route of 2925 nautical miles passing south of the Terranova Island.
The record that Maserati must break is currently held by Robert Miller who, back in 2003, sailed the route in 6 days, 17 hours, 52 minutes, 39 seconds on board of the monohull Mary Cha IV (with an average speed of 18,5 knots).
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- Giovanni Soldini in NYC (Photo by George Bekris)
Giovanni Soldini and his team of truly seasoned veterans of the ocean racing circuit have a difficult but not unsurmountable task ahead of them. Catch the most favorable system and hope they can ride it across the atlantic at breakneck speeds, that would leave most with shaky knees and a queasy stomach, for a few thousand miles.
Now add the fact that you know you can’t slow down. This boat has to be pushed right up to her top end and held there. Hovering on the brink….. . All for the glory that is saying you are the one team that at that moment in time and forever to be known as the fastest, above all others on the earth. A heady endeavour.
Backing for this challenge is provided by Maserati, the main partner in the endeavour, which gives its name to the boat. It is flanked by the Swiss bank BSI (Generali Group), and by Generali, which are co-sponsors.
The maserati crew includes German Boris Herrmann (navigator), American Brad Van Liew (watch leader) and Spaniard David Vera (watch leader) and four Italians: Gabriele Olivo (trimmer), Guido Broggi (boat captain), Gerardo Siciliano (second bowman), and Corrado Rossignoli (first bowman).
Brad Van Liew is the first American to ever officially finish three races around the globe and the first person worldwide to win the race twice sweeping all legs of the event. Palmares: Third Place in the Around Alone Race in 1998-99, Winner in the Around Alone Race in 2002-03, Winner in the Velux 5 Oceans in 2010-11.
As a warm up the Maserati sailing team will set their sights on the 24 hour speed record. A record is currently held by the VOR 70 Ericsson 4 for monohulls. Between October 28 and October 29 2008, during the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race, Brasilian sailor Torben Grael and a crew of ten people on board of Ericsson 4 sailed 596,6 miles in 24 hours at an average speed of 24,85 knots.
Giovanni Soldini and the Maserati team’s progress can be followed at Maserati Sailing.
