Gitana 13 Sets New York - San Francisco Record February 28, 2008

(If you like, you can skip down through the prose and go straight to the pictures below!)

Shortly after 9 am, Thursday, February 28, 2008 the 110' catamaran Gitana gracefully crossed the finish line to set a new New York to San Francisco record of 43 days, 38 minutes. She shattered the old record of 57 days by two weeks!

Emerging into the morning light, leaving fog astern wrapped around the towers of the Golden Gate, Gitana tacked downwind toward the Alcatraz finish line. Fighting an ebb tide and diminishing wind, she fought even to the end to reach the finish. She reached up to gain speed, pointing her bows right at the western end of the Pier 39 breakwater - just like local Bay sailors working the shore to escape the tide.

In a slow gybe, Gitana aimed for the finish between Alcatraz and Telegraph Hill. Magestically she slowly accelerated across the line - almost savoring the historic moment.

She circled behind Alcatraz, furling and dropping the Code 0, then slowly lowering the main. A Protector came alongside and took a tow line and Gitana made her way to a morring in front of Corinthian Yach club. Skipper Lionel Lemonchois and the whole crew finally came ashore about an hour later for a rousing welcome under glorious, warm sunshine on the deck. champagne flowed freely, and families and friends rejoiced in each other and the new record.

After such trials as being storm-bound at Cape Horn for five days, it was a quiet end to a terrific ride. Congratulations Gitana!

Thanks to our own Dan Knox who climbed aboard Luna Sea so we could get these great pictures. Just for the record, as fast as an Islander is, she was no match for Gitana even drifitng along!

For more informtion you can go to Gitana's web site: http://www.gitana-team.com/en/gitana10/homepage.asp

Pictures by Rick Van Mell. Click on images to enlarge, click "Back" to return.

Approaching the end	Wind going light	Not enough to bear away	Sharpening up
Closing the shore	City Front Racer!	Gybe time...	goes slowly ...
jib coming around	The Finish!

Here's a short movie crossing the finish line: The Finish. (Caution, it is about 12 megabytes so it may take a while to laod.)

Passing Pier 39	Main coming down
Slow going	Getting a tow ...	starting to pull	Very nice
Hard at work	Angel Island background	She's long!	Lots of strings
At the helm	Last few feet	Alcatraz behind	Great reflections
Foredeck crew	Heading for Corinthian YC	Passing Belvedere	Headed for a mooring
Waitng for a ride ...	here it is...	aboard.	Let's check a morroing ...
Clean	Leeboards	Mighty mast	Crisp
Coming back ...	ready to ...	help aboard ...	Carrying news
Moving into place	Tow line becomes ...	mooring line ...	making fast.
shortening up.	Safe & secure ...	Corrinthian YC	Part of the crowd.
Justifiably proud!	French, what else	Celebrate with the ...	Whole crew.
Hip, hip ...	Hooray!	Photogs ...	click away.
Dockside chat.	Stern view of ....	The Logo!	Families and ...
friends unite.	The Skipper ...	answers lots ...	of questions.
Dan Knox with crew.	The party ...	continues.	Gitana sparkles.
Thanks Dan!	OK, so just ...	what is the ...	big deal?

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