PlayStation smashes sailing records - In Other News

There have been 24 previous attempts to break the "Holy Grail" of sailing records, the west-to-east transatlantic crossing and in October adventurer Steve Fossett didn't just break it, he obliterated it.

Fossett's 125-foot catamaran PlayStation passed the Lizard Point Lighthouse in English waters on Oct. 10, 2001, 4 days, 17 hours, 28 minutes, and 6 seconds after leaving New York, smashing the existing West-to-East transatlantic record by more than 43 hours. On this trip, Fossett broke four other sailing speed records to boot.

PlayStation crossed the start line at Ambrose Light, NY, on Oct. 5, 2001. During its passage, it maintained an average speed of 25.78 knots as it covered 2,885 miles. While underway, it also set a new 24-hour speed record, covering 687.17 nautical miles between Oct. 6- 7, which Fossett later said is the record that means the most to him.

Fossett, 57, was crowned Rolex Yachtsman of the Year for his accomplishments in sailing. The Chicagoan holds a total of 18 world sailing and racing records.

To achieve this stunning time, PlayStation carried a crew of 10 men and an arsenal of high-tech systems, including a KVH GyroTrac gyro-stabilized Digital Compass. GyroTrac continually measures and compensates for vessel motion to provide accurate heading data even in the heaviest seas where location and orientation are constantly changing.