Great American II, a 53-foot trimaran has completed the 15,000-mile voyage to Australia in 68 days 10 hours 7 minutes 52 seconds, breaking a record that had stood for 146 years.

Subject to ratification by the World Speed Sailing Record Council, American adventurers Rich Wilson, from Rockport, Massachusetts, and his co-skipper Bill Biewenga, from Newport, Rhode Island, have just managed to break the 146-year old record by a mere 28 hours.

The original record of 69 days and 14 hours was set by the American clipper ship, Mandarin, as she carried prospectors to the Australian Gold Rush in the winter of 1855-56.

Before they began their record attempt, Wilson had been optimistic that they could complete the voyage through the Atlantic Ocean, around the Cape of Good Hope and across the southernmost region of the India Ocean in about 60 days.

However, after being slowed by light headwinds after leaving New York and again as they neared Australia, it became a apparent that they may struggle to match the clipper ship’s time.

At the finish today, the trimaran picked up a fresh breeze and slipped across the finish line off the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria doing 15 knots in a flurry of spray and leaving the supporter fleet in its wake.

Although there will be much celebrating and relief at the end of a very close run, it is now in the hands of the WSSRC to acknowledge the result.