Photographer Daniel Forster was onboard on Comanche before the transatlantic start. Read his impressions.
I was invited by COMANCHE to do some onboard photography two days before the Transatlantic Start inNewport.
It was quite an experience to walk the 30.5 meters (100 feet) to document sail changes or Ken Read running almost 7.80m (25ft 6in) from leeward wheel to the windward wheel.
The most exciting part was to climb (get hoisted) to the top of the 46.00m (150ft) mast and see the 22 crew members running around like ants down on the deck…
There was definitely tension onboard hoping to break RAMBLER100's Transatlantic Record and attack the 24 hour record. We now know that the 24 hour record got broken! Comanche covered 618 miles!
See more of Daniel's excellent Comanche pics here.
More details about COMANCHE
The Transatlantic Race 2015 and the Atlantic Ocean Racing Series are the result of a partnership of the Royal Yacht Squadron (founded 1815), the New York Yacht Club (1844), the Royal Ocean Racing Club (1925), and the Storm Trysail Club (1938).
Comanche sets new 24 hour record:
In stark contrast to the two days they spent wallowing in no wind last week, a corridor of strong southwesterly winds straddling the breadth of the North Atlantic for the last 48 hours has provided last Sunday's starters with conditions to cover huge mileage.
A boat built exactly for this is Jim Clark and Kristy Hinze-Clark's VPLP-Verdier designed 100-foot maxi Comanche, which this morning broke the monohull 24-hour distance record. In the period between 0530 UTC Friday and 0530 this morning, Comanche covered 618.01 nautical miles (or 25.75 knots average); however, it is important to note that this is subject to ratification by the World Sailing Speed Record Council.
This betters the previous record of 596.6nm set by Torben Grael and the Ericsson 4 VO70 crew during the 2008-9 Volvo Ocean Race. Two Ericsson 4 crew, Tony Mutter and Ryan Godfrey, are sailing on board Comanche in the Transatlantic Race. .
COMANCHE:
Mast height 46.00m/150ft
LOA 30.50m/100ft 0in
Beam 7.80m/25ft 6in
Draught 6.50m/21ft 4in
Displacement 31,000kg/68,343lb
Mainsail 410m2/4,413ft2
Downwind sail area 1,022m2/11,000ft2
Upwind sail area 350m2/3,767ft2
Largest spinnaker 1,100m2/11,840ft2
IRC Rating 1.958
Designed by Verdier Design/VPLP
Built by Hodgdon Yachts, Maine, USA and Owner's build team
Mast/boom Southern Spars
Sails North Sails
Hydraulics Cariboni
Foils Re Fraschini
Winch System Harken with Jon Williams
Rigging ECsix
