Maserati to depart today

Giovanni Soldini's New York-San Francisco attempt to get underway this afternoon

Maserati is ready to set off on her New York-San Francisco record attempt. The blue modified VO70 is due to start from New York at 15.30 UTC today, Monday 31 December 31.

Italian skipper Giovanni Soldini and his team will follow the old clipper ship route, sailing 13,225 miles to the west coast of the USA via Cape Horn. 

To break the record set by Yves Parlier aboard and his IMOCA 60 Aquitaine Innovations, Maserati must sail the passage in less than 57 days, 3 hours and 2 minutes.

On board with Giovanni Soldini are an international cast: from Italy this is Guido Broggi, Corrado Rossignoli and Michele Sighel, from France is round the world sailor Sebastien Audigane, from Germany shorthanded round the worl sailor Boris Herrmann, from China is Jianghe Teng known as 'Tiger', from the USA is former Barcelona World Race co-skipper Ryan Breymeier, and from Spain Carlos Hernandez.

Conditions are lining up for a favourable departure tonight with a depression offshore and an area of high pressure over the eastern seaboard of the USA creating a strong band of northerlies on which to shoot south.