‘Maserati’ on Target for Record
After yet another collision with an Unidentified Floating Object and losing one of her rudders, Maserati is flying through the Indian Ocean, about to round the Cape of Good Hope, and over 500 nautical miles ahead of Gitana 13’s reference time for the ‘Tea Route’ from Hong Kong to London.
On the tenth day of their 40-something-day record attempt, Maserati "hit something at 20 knots of speed and we lost the rudder on the right-side hull," said Giovanni Soldini in a press release on January 28 (Maserati also sustained damage to a rudder in last year’s Transpac after hitting a UFO). "Luckily we have a spare one and it doesn’t seem like there is collateral damage. We are waiting for better weather conditions to replace the rudder." The MOD70 made her way toward a high-pressure system, seeking calm conditions to make repairs — they were still 587 miles ahead of Gitana 13’s reference time.
On January 29, the crew had successfully replaced their broken blade. "The assembly of the spare rudder went well," Soldini said. "We managed to install it on the first try and we didn’t lose much time. Maserati is back at 100% and we are happy." The trimaran is currently in a heavy low-pressure system with 40-knot winds and about 2000 miles east of Cape of Good Hope. Barring any further damage, Maserati hopes to be in London before March 1.
