| Year | Vessel | Type | Skipper(s) | Time | Avg Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Explorer ex-Jet Services V |
Catamaran · 86 ft | Bruno Peyron (FRA) / Cam Lewis (USA) | 2d 22h 50m | ~13 kts |
| 2001 | PlayStation | Catamaran · 125 ft | Steve Fossett (USA) + crew of 12 | 2d 5h 55m | ~17 kts |
| 2007 | Groupama 3Current | Trimaran (foiling) · 103 ft | Franck Cammas (FRA) + crew of 10 | 1d 11h 5m 20s | 27 kts |
Explorer
PlayStation
Groupama 3
The Ultim and MOD70 campaigns are almost entirely French-funded and oriented around the Jules Verne Trophy, Route du Rhum, and transatlantic passages. The Miami–NY corridor doesn't appear on any of those teams' target lists. Groupama 3 only ran it in 2007 as a single-crack warmup en route to a transatlantic attempt. No team has formally registered a record attempt since.
The route's meteorological complexity — Cape Hatteras, the Gulf Stream, coastal wind variability — makes it less attractive than clean ocean passages for performance campaigns. But the capability to crush the record is unambiguously present. A modern Ultim class trimaran averaging 35–40 knots could complete this run in under 27 hours. The sub-24-hour barrier is realistic in an ideal May window.
Best Window
Late April – early June. After Nor'easter season, before Bermuda High locks in, before hurricane season. All three records were set in this window: Explorer (June 1999), PlayStation (May 2001), Groupama 3 (June 2007).
Cape Hatteras
Critical crux at 35°N. Continental shelf drops off; Gulf Stream closest to shore. Against NE wind, creates steep short-period seas. Record window must avoid this scenario.
Gulf Stream
Runs 2–4 kts NNE parallel to coast between Miami and Hatteras. Free booster for the southern half — but only usable in benign conditions. SW airflow ahead of cold fronts provides the ideal push northeast.
Why Late Spring
Low-pressure systems still transiting mid-Atlantic states produce SW airflow ahead of cold fronts — ideal push NE. Not coincidental that every record fell in this window.
| Class / Vessel | Description | Sustained Avg | Projected Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current record (Groupama 3) | Early-gen foiling trimaran, 103 ft | 27 kts | 1d 11h 5m |
| MOD70 | 70-ft offshore trimaran, charterable | 25–30 kts | ~32–38 hrs |
| Ultim class (crewed) | Sodebo / SVR-Lazartigue tier, 105 ft foiling tri | 35–40 kts | ~24–27 hrs |
| Ultim class (optimal) | Same boat, ideal May window, flat seas | 40–45 kts | ~21–24 hrs |
| J Class (historic) | 130–135 ft classic monohull | 10–14 kts | ~67–95 hrs |
| Foiling Moth | 11-ft single-handed foiler | 15–20 kts | Theoretical only |
The MOD70 class is the realistic privateer candidate. These 70-foot trimarans are available for charter and have been campaigned by non-professional teams in offshore events. A MOD70 averaging 25–30 knots could threaten or match the current record — and a well-funded private effort in a good weather window could realistically claim it.
The J Class represents the romantic angle: a 1930s America's Cup yacht — 130 feet of varnished mahogany and 7,000 square feet of sail — ghosting down the coast at 12 knots. No WSSRC record exists for a J Class on this route. It would take three to four days. It would be magnificent.
And the Foiling Moth? An 11-foot single-handed dinghy foiling at 30 knots offshore for 950 nautical miles. The sailing equivalent of running the Cannonball in a Caterham — technically possible, catastrophically impractical, and exactly the kind of thing CG exists to celebrate.