[Finished] Webcast: New York To Bermuda Race
[Updated: New record set, webcast over] Two powerboat racers left New York this morning [Aug 21] hoping to break the Bermuda Challenge record — which is 17 hours — for the fastest ocean crossing from New York to Bermuda.
Using satellite airtime provided by Marlink, the racers are live streaming video of their 730 mile journey.
In 2012, Chris Fertig and Tyson Garvin became the Bermuda Challenge champions with their time of 21 hours and 39 minutes setting a new record.
However, they only held the record for a few weeks as they were bested by an Italian team led by Fabio Buzzi who raced across the ocean in approximately 17 hours.
Fertig and Garvin set out again this morning to make a new record attempt in their Skater 399 powered by twin Cummins diesels and Arneson Surface Drives.
Livestream carried by permission of Boating Magazine [now finished]:
Boat Specifications
- Manufacturer – Skater Powerboats
- Model – 399 V-hull
- Material – Carbon/Kevlar
- Engines – Twin 5.9L, 480hp Cummins
- Transmissions – ZF Two speeds
- Drives – Arneson #8s
- Props – Precision Works 19 x 44
- Electronics – Simrad NSS Integrated Navigation system with satellite weather
Performance
- Fast cruise – 78mph @ 2mpg (light load)
- Top speed – 84mph (light load)
Created by Boating Magazine in 1994, the Bermuda Challenge is an offshore powerboat endurance race which begins at the Statue of Liberty in New York City and finishes at the sea buoy in St. Georges, Bermuda.
The first run was in 1996 by Larry Graf in his Glacier Bay 260 Canyon Runner with twin Honda 90s, and was completed in 37 hours. In 1997, a World Class 266 SF catamaran powered by Mercury Optimax 150s cut the time to 29 hours, 30 minutes.
In 2002 the record was broken again by Bermuda’s Dr Neil Burnie aboard a Renaissance Marine Prowler 302, and in 2012 Fertig and Garvin set their first record in the race, which they are hoping to break today.
You can follow along with a route tracking map here on BoatingMag.com
Update 9.49am: Things do not appear to be going as planned, as the boat is now stopped. The driver took off his lifejacket and shirt and put on a diving mask. He is now out of view, and it appears he jumped overboard.
Update 10.23am: After an approximately 30 minute long stop, the boat is now moving again. According to Boating Magazine, they were 67 miles offshore when they stopped. They had departed at around 8.40am Bermuda time.
Update 11.37am: There is a spreadsheet tracking their moves here. It is being updated, and as of this time shows them having completed 122 miles traveling at an average speed of 45.17 mph and on track to break the record. The time listed on the spreadsheet is EST, one hour behind Bermuda.
Update 3.10pm: According to the tracking spreadsheet, they have now completed approximately 300 miles — or 40% of the distance — traveling at an average speed of 49.09 mph and remain on track to break the record.
Update 5.47pm: The tracking spreadsheet shows they have traveled approximately 447 miles [58% of the distance] at an average speed of 51.01 mph. The total time estimate is 14 hours, with an estimated arrival time of 10.30pm EST [11.30pm Bermuda time].
Update 7.44pm: They have traveled over 70% of the distance [553 miles] and remain on track to break the record.
Update 9.20pm: With around 100 miles to go, there appears to be an issue. The stream is dark, but it does appear that the boat has stopped.
Update 9.46pm: They are back up and running at a faster pace now. They have traveled around 650 miles, and have around 100 miles to go. They need to finish by around 1am to break the record, so things still look promising.
Update 12.07am: They are very close to Bermuda now, and look to be making record time.
Update 12.15am: They are within 16 miles of the island.
Update 12.49am: They have arrived and set a new record of 15 hours and 48 minutes. Details here.
Read More About
Comments (41)
Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed
Articles that link to this one:
- 16 Hrs: Racers Set New NY To Bermuda Record | Bernews.com | August 22, 2013
- Video & Photos: NY To Bermuda Record Broken | Bernews.com | August 22, 2013
barely out of sight of land and they are stopped? That’s not a good sign
and no helmets? not too smart guys!
yup,no helmets…dumbos!
Oh good grief! Have you never been on a boat before? Ferrys don’t count.
Sea conditions are almost calm. It is hot. These guys have something like 17 hours to go in an open boat. No air conditioning. It is not like there is a high risk of running into anything out there.
whales, containers, logs, wood, etc. guess those don’t count tho. lol foh
actually I have and smart folks, in a an open ocean race like this would have helmets on. Take a look at the guys on the AC72 going far slower… they all wear helmets.
your comments are ridiculous but that’s the norm around here
Not sure the AC72s are going much slower!
Oh shut up with your negative s***.. shouldnt you be at your desk working get the hell off of here doug before i … call your boss lol what a loser worred about the wrong things.. you sound like a snitch … call the cops they dont have on a helmet woop di f****n doo
please ignore the idiot above!…born that way..terrible really…should have been put down at birth,I blame the doctors and of course the plp.
there we go, another intelligent comment on Bernews. Nice work “lol”
Thank you for the Live Broadcasting. As usual Bernews is #1……
Ill put u down @ nuffin but the truth…and thats nuffin but truth so **** you
one word for you…BOLLOCKS
Good luck to you guys. Looks like fun!
in the near future. HEATWAVE [some like it hot] is going to take this challenge.
some people have more money than me..MWHaaaaaaa!
it must be getting rougher they have just put their helmets on……..
well one of them anyway……
look at the different head action with the one wearing the helmet and the other guy, that driver is going to be very fatigued in a couple of hours, i have raced powerboats at high speeds and i can tell you the helmet becomes very heavy after about an hour or so.
Try telling that to the axspurts. Anyhoo, things are looking pretty smooth right now. Cruising along at 56. Looks no worse than a somewhat bumpy country road at speed.
Keep those 2 Cummins a hummin.
Well post ya address n watch the games begin @nuffin but the truth ..
it would be GAME OVER in less than 5 seconds!
(fools always make out that they are better than everyone else on the internet forums
@lol@doug can you say LOSER! Of coarse you can, you learnt to say your name when you were 2 didn’t you LMAO
You guys are SUCH a bunch of idiots. Can’t you just sit back and watch the journey, and wish them well? Jeez!!!!
good luck to them!
@Mr Happy…..so a person as myself who has more than 50 yrs experience in building and racing boats and who passes an “opinion” on some of the postings on here, is an IDIOT…….and I am enjoying the journey and these guys experience if you care to know……but please, dont call me an idiot.
yeah ok,but I dont ever recall you racing the Atlantic!
(correct me if I’m wrong there boyo!).
He is not worth responding to Herbie. A troll. Nothing more.
BOYO, now if i called you that i would be a racist now wouldnt i…….and yes i have raced IN the atlantic, just in case you dont know we are in the atlantic and if you are only a mile off of bermuda you are technically IN the atlantic……which I have raced in for longer than probably your age….and for a great number of years……..
Herb, chill out, I wasn’t referring to you.
Short of a mechanical these guys just might do it.
Hope somebody from Government, such as the Premier, or at least the Tourism Minister will be there to greet them.
Oh yeah, lets not forget Customs & Immigration. Don’t want to hear that they had to spend the night on the boat because they arrived here after Immigration office hours. Remember the Marion yacht incident.
This is a big story in the US powerboat community. Great FREE publicity for Bermuda.
2 A** Hol** NUTTIN BUTT the truth and LOL@Doug, Go guys, break the record helmets or not, as far as I know it is not a requirement to use them. Just hope you have enough fuel to putt around till HM Customs and Border Patrol show up for work tomorrow.
Uh Oh. They look to be dead in the water again.
over half hour not moving…somethings gone wrong.
The word on another forum, a boating forum, is that they have 1, maybe 2 broken wheels. Stresses on those surface drives must be insane.
which forum?
think they are moving again….hopefully it was to transfer fuel..
Congratulations to the Bermudians!!!!!! I’m a Bermudian living in South Florida and have been watching all day, so proud!!!! Thank you Bernews for making us all a part of this fantastic voyage!!!!!
Congratulations to Chris and Tyson…you did it! Beat the old record by over an hour!