A catamaran limped into Bermuda yesterday after bad weather forced its crew to abandon their attempt to set a record for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic in a non-specialist boat.

The crew of the Saint Nicolas de Sauzon III were hoping to establish the fastest time for a production boat - as opposed to a specially-designed vessel - to make the crossing from New York to Cape Lizard in the United Kingdom.

But on March 25, four days after setting off from the Big Apple, the 58 foot Catana 582's genoa mast was ripped apart in high winds, snow and ice.

The boat was closer to Bermuda than the Azores, so skipper Yves Gallot Lavallee decide to head for St. George's to refuel and get food.

Mr. Lavallee and his four other crewmen - three Frenchmen and an Argentinian - are planning to return to New York today and have vowed to try once again to set the record for a production boat on the 2925 mile route.

Speaking exclusively to The Royal Gazette yesterday evening, Mr. Lavallee said: "We had very bad weather, ice, snow and high winds, and we broke the main sail, and we think it is better to go back to New York for a second chance.

"We have to prepare time for repairs in New York, so it was better to set sail for Bermuda for fuel and food. Yes, we will try again, and we want to depart before 15 days. Everyone on board has said how beautiful Bermuda is."

Mr. Lavallee told a website dedicated to his attempt: "If we had enough fuel, we would have headed straight for New York, but that was impossible.

"It's been raining and we've got very little breeze. And then we don't have a genoa, so the speed is awful."

The fastest time recorded for a trans-Atlantic crossing was October last year 2001 when Steve Fossett's PlayStation made the journey in four days, 17 hours, 28 minutes and six seconds.