Behemoths abroad: Pete Goss's Team Philips puts its twin rig to work during the boat's maiden voyage in the English Channel.

DARTMOUTH, England — Sailors who?ve been at sea or residing under a rock for the past week may not be aware of Pete Goss?s new Team Philips?the carbon-fiber, 120-foot catamaran built expressly for The Race. Launched last week and christened on Tuesday by Her Majesty the Queen of England, this new behemoth has recently been cutting a wake in the English Channel. Sources at Team Philips report that the boat?s speed potential is almost beyond imagination.
Crewmember Mike Calvin related that the boat is ??so fast she dulls our sensation of speed.? According to Calvin, the boat reached a top speed of 23 knots while sailing in light winds during its first night at sea on March 12. He said he regarded that performance as only ?the merest hint of things to come.
After the christening ceremony in London, Team Philips put back to sea, bound for Dartmouth where her crew intended to take care of some minor adjustments before the vessel sets off for its first serious, open-ocean action?an attempt at the Jules Verne Trophy (around the world non-stop). Goss says he hasn?t announced a departure date, but feels that this planned run at the existing record (71d, 14h, 22m, 8s) will make for a fitting shakedown given that he and his crew will follow approximately the same course as The Race.