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Boat racing team sets record for Florida to Cuba crossing
Published September 25, 2017
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.
FOX NEWS DRIVES THE WORLD'S FASTEST V-HULL POWER BOAT:
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
https://www.foxnews.com/auto/boat-racing-team-sets-record-for-florida-to-cuba-crossing