A new record to beat for Giovanni Soldini and the Maserati Multi70 Team: after claiming the records for the United States’ “Gold Route” from New York to San Francisco and the “Tea Clipper Trade Route” between San Francisco and Shanghai, China, the latest record attempt follows the route of the clipper ships that at the end of the 19th Century transported their cargoes of tea from Hong Kong to London via the Cape of Good Hope.
The current record time, set in 2008 by Frenchman Lionel Lemonchois and his nine-man crew aboard the 100-foot catamaran Gitana 13, is 41 days, 21 hours, 26 minutes and 34 seconds.
Giovanni Soldini aims to attempt the record breaking run in January 2018 aboard the Maserati Multi70 trimaran along with four expert ocean racing sailors : Sébastien Audigane (FRA), Guido Broggi (ITA), Oliver Herrera (ESP) and Alex Pella (ESP).
13,000 miles, 24,000 kilometres non-stop: this is an uncommonly long route for a 70-foot multihull such as Maserati Multi70. To minimise the risk of damage, instead of sailing in foiling mode the boat will be set up in MOD configuration – although the work to develop the boat’s foiling dagger boards continues with the support of the eminent high-performance yacht designer, Guillaume Verdier.
After undergoing a series of sea trials in Hawaii, Maserati Multi70 will set off at the end of November for Okinawa, Japan. After a final transfer to Hong Kong, Soldini and his crew will be on standby to depart on the record attempt the beginning of January 2018.
