The Maserati has sailed. Into the ocean.

The Italian racing team, led by famous yachtsman Giovanni Soldini, set off today (or rather yesterday) on a transatlantic voyage for a speed record. Not the classic route from Lizard Lighthouse to Ambrose Lighthouse, but the one called the Columbus Route from Cadiz, Spain to San Salvador, Bahamas. Allegedly, this is howthe Admiral of the Sea-Ocean himself sailed. The record on this distance is also quite official and is fixed by the WSSRC, the organisation which sets the rules for fixing any sailing speed records.

Soldini's yacht, named Maserati - after her sponsor, understandably - is one of the VO 70 class boats. It's not reported which one, but in principle it's easy to guess

. The crew is international: a German, an American, a Spaniard and an Italian.

What is somewhat surprising is that the crew of this boat set sail with just 7 people on board.

Giovanni, of course, has a reputation as «iron man», with extremely strong will and everything, but to lead a 70-foot yacht on a record sailing actually «in four hands» (the watch is only two people) is too steep, in my opinion.
Certainly, - my opponents will contradict me, - in Open 60 on almost the same yachts people in general race alone. Well, «on nearly the same» - does not mean «on quite the same». The Open 60 is originally designed and built with the expectation that she will «fight» one person. The VO 70 is still designed for a dozen healthy men, and reducing the crew size by even one man is given with great difficulty there. So let's see if the sailing Maserati proves to be as fast as its road brother...

Although, to be fair... There is no any single-hulled ship speed record at this distance. You can sail it for a year and it will be a record. So, maybe we are worried about the number of the crew for nothing?