The Farr 80 Beau Geste broke the record yesterday morning for the 17th running of the bi-annual Bermuda Ocean Race (BOR) from Annapolis, Maryland to St. George's.

And after quickly dropping off some crew and the owner, the yacht immediately turned around and set sail for Rhode Island in an attempt to be on the start line for Friday's Newport to Bermuda Race.

It is something that has never been accomplished before and Brian Oatley, Commodore of the BOR host club, St. George's Dinghy & Sports Club, said yesterday that judging by Beau Geste's fast crossing from Annapolis, the boat should be on the start line.

Beau Geste took 66 hours, 22 minutes and 41 seconds to set the new record for the BOR, crossing the line at Spit Buoy in the East End at 10.17 a.m. yesterday. The Chinese-owned boat crushed the previous record which was 85 hours, 18 minutes and 57 second set by Raider in the last race in 2008.

Beau Geste's owner and skipper is Karl Kwok who flew from his home in Hong Kong to take part in the race. He also had an expert crew of 14.

Oatley said yesterday: "After she crossed the line she came in and dropped off about five crew members and Mr. Kwok. They will fly to Newport to join the boat for the Newport to Bermuda Race.

"But before they turned around to sail to Newport they ordered 20 pizzas to go!"

Oatley said Beau Geste made excellent time since it took a while to get out of the Chesapeake Bay. The average speed was 12 knots.

In other sailing news leading up to Friday's Newport to Bermuda race, Dr. Stephen Sherwin of Bermuda sailed Nasty Medicine to second place in the 13-boat IRC 3 Class in the 156th New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta in Newport over the weekend.

He will compete in the Newport to Bermuda race and then sail in the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club's Anniversary Regatta on June 25 to complete the Onion Patch Series. Twenty-two boats are in the gruelling three-event series. After the NYYC event Nasty Medicine is in seventh place.

Vanquish, co-skippered by Bermudian Buddy Rego and American Russell Lucas, didn't finish in the top three in her class in the NYYC event.