Atlantic

Type

Schooner

Period

20th Century

Nation

United States

Overview: Atlantic was a three-masted, gaff-rigged racing/cruising schooner built in 1903 for New York Yacht Club member Wilson Marshall, designed by yacht architect William Gardner. She is best known for setting the monohull transatlantic sailing speed record while racing under Captain Charlie Barr in the 1905 Kaiser's Cup, a record that stood for nearly a century. Specifications: Atlantic was a three-mast gaff-rigged schooner with a displacement of 303 tonnes, an overall length of 69.40 m (227.7 ft), a beam of 8.85 m (29.0 ft), and a draught of 4.90 m (16.1 ft), carrying 1,720 m2 (18,500 sq ft) of sail and fitted with auxiliary steam power in addition to sail. She was built with a black wrought-iron/steel hull, flush riveted, and although fast she was outfitted with considerable luxury — marble floors, mahogany paneling, Tiffany skylights, gold-plated fittings, and two steam-driven generators powering electric lights, refrigerators, and a large galley, details that make her a rewarding subject for detailed cabin and deck-fitting work. Service History: Built at the Townsend & Downey shipyard on Shooters Island, New York, and launched 28 July 1903, Atlantic won the Brenton Reef and Cape May Cups in her first seasons before entering the 1905 Kaiser's Cup, a transatlantic race from Sandy Hook to the Lizard sponsored by Kaiser Wilhelm II. Skippered by the legendary Charlie Barr with navigator Frederick Maxfield Hoyt, she won the race and set a transatlantic monohull record of 12 days, 4 hours and 1 minute that stood for decades. She later served as a mother ship for submarine chasers in World War I and as a U.S. Coast Guard training vessel from 1941 to 1947 before being broken up in 1982. Notable Facts: Atlantic's record stood unbroken for nearly a century until it was finally beaten in the early 2000s, an achievement often cited as the longest-standing speed record in any sport. A full-scale sailing replica of Atlantic was built between 2007 and 2010 at the Van der Graaf shipyard near Rotterdam at the instigation of Dutch yachtsman Ed Kastelein, reproducing her original dimensions and rig with modern diesel auxiliary power and electronics. The original Atlantic's story, including her record run, has also been the subject of a dedicated book.