Mari Cha III, the new holder of the transatlantic sailing record, is in St. Thomas. The 147-foot, two-masted sailing racer stands out, even among the assortment of mega-yachts visiting St. Thomas this winter.
The all-star crew started out of New York on October 15, according to reports in "Sailing World," and blasted across the Atlantic sometimes reaching speeds over 30 knots.
When Mari Cha crossed the "Lizard" at the southwest tip of England, 8 days, 23 hours and 59 minutes later, they established a new record — two days shorter than the previous record. The new record is 20 percent faster than the record set in 1997, and is the first major reduction in the time, which was set back in 1905 by the schooner "Atlantic" at 12 days, 4 hours.