500 mile barrier smashed

Mari Cha IV earns her first stripe - this news item is being updated!

Robert Miller’s 140 foot supermaxi, Mari Cha IV, currently attempting the west to east transatlantic record has this morning set a new monohull record for the most number of miles sailed in a 24 hour period. At 07:30 GMT this morning, Mari Cha IV had sailed 505 nautical miles in the previous 24 hours - although this is awaiting ratification by the World Speed Sailing Record Council.

The previous record, set by John Kostecki's illbruck Challenge on the Annapolis to La Rochelle leg of the Volvo Ocean Race on 29 April last year was 484 nautical miles. Mari Cha IV are therefore the first monohull ever to sail more than 500 miles in one day.

"What an amazing feeling," commented owner Robert Miller. "We have designed and built this fantastic yacht with one aim in mind… to break records, and here we are on our first attempt and we have broken one already! I have a great team consisting of some of the best sailors in the world and together I’m pleased to say that we’re really showing what this awesome yacht can do.

"All of us onboard are in high spirits, but the hard work is, as always, relentless. We are well on course for the transatlantic record, but will continue to push hard until we reach England."

Watch this space as she could well improve on this time over the course of today

10:45GMT UPDATE: Mari Cha IV in the 24 hour period between 05/1032 and 06/1030 covered 511.4 miles

13:00GMT UPDATE: 05/1232 to 06/1232 produced 515.9 nmiles

13:47GMT UPDATE: 05/1334 to 06/1332 produced 517.1 nmiles

Midnight update: 05/2238 to 06/2236 produced 524.9 nmiles

Position updates

Sun 5th Oct 03 at 16:34	48 17.80 ' N	49 46.36 ' W	42	21.6	17.22	1724.9	393.26
Sun 5th Oct 03 at 20:34	49 16.16 ' N	48 10.56 ' W	52	20.2	17.44	1646.11	431.99
Mon 6th Oct 03 at 00:38	50 11.00 ' N	46 29.00 ' W	61	18.6	17.62	1567.4	457.37
Mon 6th Oct 03 at 04:40	51 01.96 ' N	44 33.84 ' W	60	24	17.83	1483.97	462.9
Mon 6th Oct 03 at 08:40	51 36.12 ' N	42 22.92 ' W	77	18.6	18.04	1396.86	476.28
Mon 6th Oct 03 at 12:32	52 10.84 ' N	40 16.88 ' W	63	21	18.21	1314.42	487.97
Mon 6th Oct 03 at 16:34	52 32.48 ' N	37 53.56 ' W	83	21	18.22	1224.91	499.99
Mon 6th Oct 03 at 20:26	52 47.44 ' N	35 36.24 ' W	76	21.8	19.83	1140.68	505.43
Tue 7th Oct 03 at 00:28	53 08.20 ' N	33 16.96 ' W	73	21.6	19.9	1055.84	511.56

What a day! Mari Cha IV, a boat launched just two months ago, has really proved that the concept behind her radical giant schooner rigged design works a treat. Robert Miller and his crew have not only demolished the illbruck crew's 24 record but they are the first to take the monohull 24 hour record beyond the 500 mark - a similar hurdle to the 700 mile mark among the big multis. Their best run to date represents an average over the 24 hour period of 21.8 knots.

Throughout the course of the last two days router Roger Badham in Australia has been keeping track of the positions of the boat and monitoring the progress. Although the latest position indicate clearly that they have sailed 525 nautical miles in one 24 hour period, the World Speed Sailing Record council demand that a distance is measured exactly 24 hours apart or more. Thus the 524.9 nmile distance is two minutes short of the 24 hours. So although they have sailed these distances some maths will have to be carried out before a final distance is ratified by the WSSRC.

From here the crew are back to their original goal to break Bernard Stamm's west to east transat record. If all goes well they look set to demolish this too.

The latest position (see map at the top of this page) shows Mari Cha IV to be over the top of the high pressure system. At some point reasonably soon they will have to gybe or risk going too far north as the wind increasingly veers west for them putting them onto a (slow) dead run.

Over the next couple of days a low pressure to the west looks set to move rapidly north and intensify, effectively shoving the high pressure system east in the same direction as Mari Cha IV. This low looks set to intensify and enlarge as it moves up past the east of Greenland. So it will be at best reaching, as worst running, all the way to the finish line.

Weather for 1230GMT 7 October


Weather for 1200GMT 8 October


Weather for 1200GMT 9 October