ICAP Leopard unleashed

Mike Slade's supermaxi heads off on west to east transatlantic record attempt

Today, at 18:45:38 GMT, ICAP Leopard, the 100ft super-maxi owned by Helical Bar PLC chief executive Mike Slade, crossed the start line at Ambrose Light to begin her attempt on the 2,925 nautical mile monohull west to east transatlantic speed record. ICAP Leopard will need to cross the finish line at Lizard Point before 12:37 GMT on Saturday 5 June to better the time of the record held by Robert Miller's Mari Cha IV of 6 days, 17 hours and 52 minutes.*

Starting in 15 knots of wind, ICAP Leopard will head north to hook into a weather system developing over Nova Scotia this weekend. It is hoped that she will be able to ride this weather system all the way across, however she may encounter some high pressure on the approach to the UK. It is hoped a fast start will give ICAP Leopard a good chance of getting through the high pressure and across the line in record time.

ICAP Leopard will be carrying a GPS tracker during her record attempt. Follow her progress here.

*Before anyone else says it... the outright monohull record held by Mari Cha IV is for boats without power assisted winches, which Leopard features. In this day and age should this give them the outright monohull record?