Comanche, all the secrets of the boat that broke the world’s most famous record

Comanche, Jim Clark’s 100-footer, succeeded where so many have failed: it set a new monohull distance record on the legendary North Atlantic New York (Ambrose Light)-Cape Lizard route! The Hodgdon 100 took 5 days, 14 hours, 21 minutes and 25 seconds, at an average speed of 21.44 knots, to cover the more than 2,800 miles-literally shattered Mari Cha IV’s record, which had held since 2003 (6 days, 17 hours, 52 minutes and 39 seconds). This is a great achievement for skipper Ken Read and the world’s fastest monohull, built with the aim of shattering ocean records: last year it had set a new 24-hour mileage record (618 miles).

NY-CAPE LIZARD, A COVETED RECORD
The transatlantic record is one of the most coveted by ocean sailors given its sporting value (passing between icebergs south of the island of Newfoundland), it has been held to account since 1905, year when Charlie Barr on the yacht Atlantic took 12 days, at an average speed of 10.02 knots, to make the crossing (the record would stand until 1980, when Eric Tabarly on the futuristic Paul Ricard lowered it to 10 days). Comanche has just set the record for crewed monohulls by pulverizing Mari Cha’s: on multihulls it is Banque Populaire V the boat to beat: 3 days, 15 hours, 25 minutes and 48 seconds at an average speed of 32.94 knots (again with Bidegorry in 2009). As for the solo skippered multihulls, the time to beat (5 days, 2 hours, 56 minutes and 10 seconds) is that of Francis Joyon on the trimaran Idec, recorded in 2013. In solo trimarans up to 60 feet, the record held by Laurent Bourgnon, who in 1994, on Primagaz, took 7 days, 2 hours, 34 minutes and 42 seconds, endures. In 60-foot monohulls (always solo), the record is held by Marc Guillemot’s Safran, made in 2013 (8 days, 5 hours, 20 minutes and 20 seconds). Finally, on the women’s side, the time of Ellen MacArthur, who in 2004, solo on the trimaran Castorama B&Q, took 7 days, 3 hours, 49 minutes and 57 seconds, should be noted.

FOR A DISCERNING SHIPOWNER
But what kind of boat is Comanche? The owner is Jim Clark, former owner of Silicon Graphics and Netscape-a familiar name on the superyacht circuit. At 47.4 meters, his Hyperion was the largest sloop in the world when it was launched in 1998 by Royal Huisman. In 2004 he replaced it with Athena, a 90-meter three-masted clipper; in 2009 it was the turn of Hanuman, a replica of Endeavour II, Charles E Nicholson’s 1937 design. The boat has been put up for sale to make room for the new 100-foot ultratechnology boat, whose project code name is NewCubed. Skipper Ken Read, on the other hand, was a two-time helmsman on Dennis Conner’s Stars & Stripes, has two Volvo Ocean Races behind him on Puma, and a host of other level achievements.

A BOAT TO WIN IT ALL
The 100-footer was designed by Marc Van Peteghem and Vincent Lauriot (of VPLP studio) in collaboration with Guillaume Verdier. A team of brains that has made such ocean monsters as Banque Poulaire, Safran, Macif, Groupama and Prince de Bretagne, all record-breaking boats (in fact, Jim Clark wants to try to break every record). The boat is about the same length as Wild Oats XI by the late Bob Oatley, but has the sail plan moved further aft and the total weight is less. The choice of keel was long and painful: initially a lifting keel was opted for, but given the number of miles Comanche would grind eventually the choice fell on the canting keel.

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