Phaedo3’s Latest Record Run

Lloyd Thornburg and his crew on the MOD70 trimaran Phaedo3 have smashed another world sailing record. Their time (still to be ratified) for the transatlantic crossing from Bermuda to Plymouth, UK, is roughly a third of the previous record set in 2004 by Brit Ross Hobson on the 43-ft trimaran Mollymawk. Mollymawk’s time was 14 days, 6 hours, 12 minutes, 50 seconds, and her speed averaged 8.38 knots. Phaedo3 covered the same 2,870-mile course an astonishing 5 days 11 hours 57 minutes and 17 seconds. Team Phaedo estimates an average speed of 22 knots with a top speed of approximately 40 knots!

By way of comparison, the current transatlantic record for Ambrose Light (New York) to Lizard Point (Cornwall), a 2,880-mile course is held by Pascal Bidegorry on Banque Populaire 5, a 131-ft trimaran, which averaged 32.94 knots during their 2009 crossing.

Trimmer Paul Allen of Santa Cruz said there was no escape from noise. "Moving around the boat is not only dangerous but a real effort. The motion feels like something between eggs being scrambled and being body checked in a hockey game. Wet, wet, wet. Sleep? Not really. Food? If you’re lucky. The boat is amazing, balanced and takes an incredible beating, but charges on. The crew is always positive and with good humor and simply badass."