The 53-foot trimaran, Great American II, is reported to have crossed the Equator two days ago, a day ahead of the pace on her attempt to break the record for a non-stop voyage from New York City to Melbourne, Australia.

The record has stood for nearly a century and a half, having been set by the clipper ship Mandarin, which completed the 14,000-mile voyage in 69 days as she carried prospectors to the Australian Gold Rush in the winter of 1855-56.

Crossing the Equator 19 days and 22 hours after leaving New York, Great American II was one day ahead of the track of the clipper ship Mandarin. Whether she can maintain the pace that she’s set or has to throttle back to limit the possibility of breakage, only time will tell. With less than a third of the distance covered, the margin for unfavourable weather or damage to put an end to the attempt is large.