Since the five-week voyage of
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...
in 1492, quickly and safely crossing the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
between
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
and the
Americas
The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...
has always been an important issue. Today, the route has become a classic one among skippers. The record is one of the most prestigious, next to the
Jules Verne Trophy, for which it is often a good preparation.
This record can be achieved both ways: from west to east or from east to west. It can also be
homologated single-handed or crewed, on
monohulls or on
multihull
A multihull is a boat or ship with more than one Hull (watercraft), hull, whereas a vessel with a single hull is a monohull. The most common multihulls are catamarans (with two hulls), and trimarans (with three hulls). There are other types, wi ...
s.
It is homologated, since 1972, by the
WSSRC
From west to east
This route is the fastest, as it follows the
prevailing westerlies. It is the one that meets the most interest among skippers.
The crossing must be made from
Ambrose Light of
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
to an imaginary line linking
Lizard Point, Cornwall
Lizard Point () in Cornwall is at the southern tip of the The Lizard, Lizard Peninsula. It is situated half-a-mile (800 m) south of Lizard (village), Lizard village in the civil parish of Landewednack and about 11 miles (18 km) southe ...
to
Ushant
Ushant (; , ; , ) is a French island at the southwestern end of the English Channel which marks the westernmost point of metropolitan France. It belongs to Brittany and in medieval times, Léon. In lower tiers of government, it is a commune in t ...
. The distance is around .
Crewed
Single-handed
From east to west
This crossing is made between
Cadiz and
San Salvador Island
San Salvador Island, previously Watling's Island, is an islands of the Bahamas, island and districts of The Bahamas, district of The Bahamas, famed for being the probable location of Christopher Columbus's first landing of the Americas on 12 Oc ...
, for a distance of . It was also called Route of the discovery in honor of
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...
and his 1492 crossing.
Crewed
Bermuda to Plymouth
2,870 nautical miles
Dakar to Guadeloupe
2,551 nautical miles
Plymouth to Newport
2,800 nautical miles
Notes and references
{{reflist
See also
*
Blue Riband
The Blue Riband () is an unofficial accolade given to the passenger liner crossing the Atlantic Ocean in regular service with the record highest Velocity, average speed. The term was borrowed from horse racing and was not widely used until ...
*
Passage sailing record
*
Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race
The Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race (STAR) is an east-to-west yacht race across the North Atlantic. When inaugurated in 1960, it was the first single-handed ocean yacht race; it is run from Plymouth in England to Newport, Rhode Island in t ...
*
Speed sailing record
*
Transatlantic crossing
Transatlantic crossings are passages of passengers and cargo across the Atlantic Ocean between Europe or Africa and the Americas. The majority of passenger traffic is across the North Atlantic between Western Europe and North America. Centuries ...
*
World Sailing Speed Record Council
Sailing records
Sailing record