PlayStation, Steve Fossett’s 125ft maxi-catamaran, has set another world record (pending ratification by the WSSRC – World Sailing Speed Record Council) on the Plymouth (UK) to La Rochelle (France) ocean passage. This is the seventh time Fossett and PlayStation have set world sailing records in the last 12 months.

Sailing from Plymouth on Monday (8 April) afternoon with a stiff north-easterly wind, Fossett and his crew of nine (who will continue to deliver the big catamaran onwards to Marseille for a short Spring sailing programme in the Med), set a time of 16 hours 41 minutes 40 seconds on the 355-nautical mile course – an average speed of 21.26 knots – the third fastest of the official world records of the WSSRC. The previous record holder of this passage was the 40ft racing trimaran Netergy.com Challenge (the ex-Mollymawk) – co-skippered by Ross Hobson and Pete Berry in July of 2001. But Pete hasn’t lost his record completely – as he is now sailing aboard PlayStation as one of Steve Fossett’s two Watch Captains – alongside American Dave Scully.

Further record attempts planned for this Spring’s programme include the TransMediterranean record from Marseilles to Carthage and the Route of Discovery E-W TransAtlantic record from Cadiz to the island of San Salvador in the Bahamas.

Crew

Skipper:

Steve Fossett (USA)

Navigator:

Chris Tibbs (GB)

Watch Captain:

Dave Scully (USA)

Watch Captain:

Pete Berry (GB)

Crew:

Brad Cavanagh (USA)

Quentin Dimmer (GB)

Simon Cotter (Ire)

Mark Featherstone (GB)

Rich Janus (GB)

Dave Thompson (GB)