Phaedo3 sets new Mount Gay Rum Around Jamestown Record

by Julianna Barbieri on 30 Jun 2015 A new outright record and time to beat was set Saturday, June 27 for the Mount Gay Rum Around Jamestown Record. Lloyd Thornburg of Santa Fe, New Mexico helmed Mod70, Phaedo3, around Jamestown with an elapsed time of 56 minutes and 33 seconds, besting the previous record of 00:58:31 by 1 minutes and 55 seconds.

The record setting crew included Brian Thompson, Miles Seddon, Sam Goodchild, Warren Fitzgerald, Sam Bason, and Pete Cumming. They chose to sail the course around the island to starboard, sailing south from the start off Fort Adams at 17:29:48 ET, on an easterly breeze ranging from 10 to 15 knots on the start of an ebbing tide.

Phaedo3, a Mod70 is a 70-foot trimaran, that is in Newport readying for the start of the NYYC Trans-Atlantic Race. The team chose to use the Around Jamestown Record as a training session for the Trans-Atlantic. This was the crew and boat’s first time sailing around Jamestown.

Owner/Skipper Lloyd Thornburg said, “We had been planning to attempt the record as practice before the Trans-Atlantic race start and we had been told it’s very hard to beat the record in the summer as the prevailing winds don’t give you the opportunity. So knowing that, it left us very much in doubt on whether or not we could break the record. But, with an easterly forecast, this really was really the only day to attempt. We decided to delay our start by an hour and a half so we could go down to Beavertail and practice gybing and check the wind on the backside.

We had a smashing start, flying the center hull going approximately 30 knots, but the wind was fluky and light on the backside and we never saw more than 15 knots of breeze. Once we got to the northern tip, the navigator said to us if we’re going to break the record we need to average 20 knots from here on in and we were going 14 at the time. I have to give credit to the guys because they really put their heads down and made it happen, but it wasn’t until we finished that we knew we broke the record.”

Sailors have until October 31st to attempt to break the new outright record and also secure one of the other divisional records. If by October 31st, no other team in any division bests Phaedo3’s outright record time, Phaedo3 will secure the outright record. When asked what he would do with all of the Mount Gay Rum if the record stands through the end of the year, Thornburg replied, “if the record holds, I think we’ll take the rum, share it and have a party.”

The Around Jamestown Record, presented by Mount Gay Rum in association with Café Zelda and IYAC is a perpetual all out record for sailing around Conanicut Island (also known as Jamestown) in lower Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island.

Similar to other outright speed records, contenders will decide when to make a record attempt and also the direction in which they will sail around Jamestown. This means contenders can choose the most advantageous weather conditions and tidal flow in which to attempt the record.

Five categories of sailing boats will be recognized to vie for divisional honors with the overall perpetual trophy going to the boat with the outright fastest time. The entry fee is $150.00 per attempt for any vessel 32’ and over, vessels under 32’ the fee is $70.00. A portion of each entry fee will support Sail Newport.

The annual divisions recognized are:
• Monohull 32’ and Above – 2014: 72’ mini-maxi, Bella Mente 01:19:35
• Monohull below 32’ – 2013: Shaw 6.50, Manic, 2:00:29
• Multihull 32’ and Above - 2014: GC 32, Argo, 00:58:31
• Multihull below 32’ – 2014: F31, Bazinga!, 01:33:53
• Kiteboards and All Foiling Craft – 2014: Foiling Kiteboard, Cash & Burn 01:03:38

The 2015 record is open from Memorial Day, May 25th until Halloween, October 31st during the hours of daylight. The yacht that wins the 2015 or outright record will be awarded Mount Gay Rum equal to the Skipper’s weight at the season ending awards party held at IYAC in Newport, RI on Saturday, November 7th at 7pm.