The Lucas Oil SilverHook powerboat arrives at speed in Havana, Cuba, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2017. The team is claiming a record for a powerboat crossing from Florida to Cuba. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) (AP)
A California-based boat racing team made the fastest (known) trip across the Florida Straits on Aug 17, covering the 103 mile stretch in 1 hour and 18 mins.
The trip from Key West to Havana was completed in a 48-foot SilverHook carbon-fiber single hull powered by twin 1350 hp Mercury Racing 9.0-liter engines.
Lucas Oil SilverHook powerboat drivers Nigel Hook, waving a Stars and Stripes, and James Johnson, waving a Cuban national flag, stand aboard their speedboat, backdropped by "El Morro" castle, in Havana, Cuba, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2017. The team led by Hook, a California-based businessman, is claiming a record for a powerboat crossing from Florida to Cuba. The crew reports making it from Key West to Havana on Thursday in 1 hour and 18 minutes. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) (AP)
SilverHook CEO Nigel Hook was at the throttle as Johnson of Scottsdale, Arizona piloted the boat at an average of close to 80 mph mph, hitting a top speed of 127 mph along the way.
The team was hoping to make an even quicker return journey, but was sidelined by a broken driveshaft.
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American Power Boat Association executive director Patrick Mell said there is no modern record for the route so the run would establish a mark once it is certified by them and the International Union of Motor-boating.
The Hook team said another boat made the same trip in 2015 in an "unsanctioned" time of 1 hour and 51 minutes.
The team is seeking recognition from Guinness World Records.
The Associated Press contributed to this report