John Reed, Secretary of the World Sailing Speed Record Council, has, in an interview with Sailing World Thursday afternoon, cleared up some questions about the singlehanded Transatlantic record set by Bernard Stamm today.
First, the singlehanded transatlantic record was not “broken,” the record is what Reed called a “vacant, or inaugural record.” Second, Reed believes that the actual pace set by Stamm was 10d:10h:55m:19s, faster than the claim made by Stamm. Reed bases his calculations on the starting time as recorded by the U.S. Coast Guard and is awaiting official confirmation by Coast Guard representatives.
Additionally, in a statement that should please Emma Richards and the sponsors of her Open 60 Pindar, Richards, if she completes the first leg of the Around Alone, can legitimately lay claim to another record; the singlehanded women’s record for a Transatlantic west to east run, another unclaimed record.
For more data and a look at the records that the WSSRC has certified, see http://www.sailspeedrecords.com/
