Alex Jackson’s 100 foot supermaxi Speedboat and her 32-man crew took overall Newport to Bermuda Race line honours earlier today when they completed the 635 nautical mile ocean crossing in an elapsed time of 64 hours, 42 minutes and 56 seconds.

The Juan Kouyoumdjian - designed yacht, built in New Zealand - crossed the St.David’s Lighthouse finish line at 9.12.56 a.m. and is expected to be joined at her moorings at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club later this afternoon by 90 foot maxis Rambler and IL Mostro who are making steady progress towards the island.

Jackson and his experienced, multi national crew had set sail from Newport Rhode Island last Friday hopeful of breaking Morning Glory’s open race record (48 hours, 28 minutes and 31 seconds) that was set in 2004. Light winds, however, ultimately put paid to those hopes but failed to dampen Speedboat’s weather beaten crew who remained upbeat on their arrival in Hamilton Harbour just before noon.

“We were hoping to get the race record, but the wind was not blowing from the right direction and so it made things very difficult,” Jackson told The Royal Gazette. “The wind was not consistent and not very strong.”

* Full story and pictures in The Royal Gazette tomorrow.