The Columbus Atlantic Trophy is an award for the fastest non-stop two way crossing of the Atlantic Ocean within a given time period. It was inaugurated in 1992 by

New York Yacht Club The New York Yacht Club (NYYC) is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. ...

in concert with Costa Smeralda Yacht Club of

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Trophy

The Columbus Atlantic Trophy is a two-foot silver goblet, which was actually given in 1928 to the NYYC by

King Alfonso XIII of Spain Alfonso XIII (17 May 1886 – 28 February 1941), also known as El Africano or the African, was King of Spain from 17 May 1886 to 14 April 1931, when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed. He was a monarch from birth as his father, Alfo ...

, as the prize for the 1928 trans-Atlantic yacht race won by NYYC's yacht ''Elena''. The trophy is available to any vessel that can set a trans-Atlantic record one way, then (within a set time-frame) set the corresponding record back. A further stipulation is that the vessel must travel without stopping, and without re-fuelling en route.A Race against Time and Atlantic waters
Barbara Lloyd, 1 June 1992

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; retrieved 3 August 2017

History

At the time of its inauguration the non-stop east-west record was that set by the American liner ''

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'' in July 1952, on her return to the US, crossing in 84 hours 12 minutes at an average speed of 34.51

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. The west- east record was that of the

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'' Hoverspeed Great Britain'' in 1990, crossing in 79 hours 55 minutes at an average of 36.96 knots (and beating ''United States'' easterly voyage by 2 h 45 min, adding 1.37 knots to the average speed). In 1992 ''

Destriero ''Destriero'' is a long, wide, 400-ton displacement (ship), displacement, yacht built by Fincantieri in their Muggiano yard at La Spezia in 1991. She is fitted with three GE Aviation LM1600 gas turbines totalling , providing her with a maximum sp ...

'' broke both records, crossing east to west (though by a different route, from

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to New York) and two weeks later returning at an average speed of 53.09 knots. This also beat the unqualified trans-Atlantic record set by ''Gentry Eagle'' in 1989, which crossed west to east in 62 hour 7 minutes, at an average speed of 47.4 knots. This record has not so far been broken.

References

{{reflist

External links

''Destriero''
Blue Riband 1992 (4 mins) (

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) at

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Atlantic Ocean Water speed records Shipping awards