QE2 Record Crossing : 3 days 20hr 42min

[transat_jon]

In 1970 the QE2 took the world record for crossing the Atlantic in 3 days, 20 hours and 42 minutes. At least according to the Sun newspaper.

 

Go down to the section called "Ship Bits..." in this article :

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2001330003-2007240302,,00.html

 

I am surprised they do not ever mention such an achievement on board, possibly all part of the British reserve, don't want to appear to be saying they are as good as SS United States. Just not cricket.

[guernseyguy]

I am surprised they do not ever mention such an achievement on board, possibly all part of the British reserve, don't want to appear to be saying they are as good as SS United States. Just not cricket.

 

I'm not sure which is more surprising - the record or you reading the Sun!

 

In any case, the United States record was 3 days 10 hours, 40 minutes - the 3 days 20 hours 42 minutes looks like the Queen Mary's August 1938 record.....

 

Peter

[pnhmrk]

I am surprised they do not ever mention such an achievement on board, possibly all part of the British reserve, don't want to appear to be saying they are as good as SS United States. Just not cricket.

 

Or possibly they are terrified that if it becomes general knowledge people will start to think it it was done once why not again? The increased costs of fuel would bankrupt Cunard!:D

[transat_jon]

.......you reading the Sun!

 

Peter

I did have an excuse, however on reflection it is indefensible.

[KenC]

I'm not sure which is more surprising - the record or you reading the Sun!

 

In any case, the United States record was 3 days 10 hours, 40 minutes - the 3 days 20 hours 42 minutes looks like the Queen Mary's August 1938 record.....

 

Peter

 

The Queen Mary's westbound blue riband record was 3 days 21 mins 28 secs in August 1938 at an average 30.99 knots.

 

The QE2 'record' 1970 crossing averaged 30.36 knots according to William Miller and Luis Miguel Correia in their book 'RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 of 1969' .

 

I notice the Sun article also digs up the old 2 not II chestnut about who or what QE2 was named after ..... lets not go there again eh???

 

Ken

[jgsmuzzy]

A passenger committed suicide – but left his envelopes containing tips for the cabin steward and waiters neatly on the bed before jumping overboard.

 

Now That is class!

[guernseyguy]

The Queen Mary's westbound blue riband record was 3 days 21 mins 28 secs in August 1938 at an average 30.99 knots.

 

A typo there I think, Ken. Kludas has the Queen Mary's record at 3 days 21 hours 28 minutes, and an average of 30.99 knots (Arnold Kludas Record Breakers of the North Atlantic, p147). I don't think they measured the crossing to the second! At 3 days zero hours she would have been 12 hours faster than the United States.:cool:

 

Peter

[guernseyguy]

The QE2 'record' 1970 crossing averaged 30.36 knots

 

30.36 knots does not beat the last Normandie record of 30.58 knots (August 1937). Mind you fourth fastest ship across is not bad (though of course, we'll never really know what the original Queen Elizabeth was capable of.....A recent discussion on another board suggested that although her hull was better, and her engines as powerful (therefore logically faster than the QM) she did not have the condensor capacity to handle all the exhaust steam from the turbines of a sustained high speed crossing.

 

Peter

[KenC]

A typo there I think, Ken. Kludas has the Queen Mary's record at 3 days 21 hours 28 minutes, and an average of 30.99 knots (Arnold Kludas Record Breakers of the North Atlantic, p147). I don't think they measured the crossing to the second! At 3 days zero hours she would have been 12 hours faster than the United States.:cool:

 

Peter

 

Of course !!! Shouldn't type straight out of a book without checking whay I've typed!!!! I used Kludas too - great book.

 

Ken

[guernseyguy]

without checking whay I've typed!!!!

 

amen......;)

[mufi]

I did have an excuse, however on reflection it is indefensible.

 

 

Page 3?

 

David.

[transat_jon]

Page 3?

 

David.

You do remind me I did have a glance at the Star on Saturday: it does make the Sun look like responsible journalism. It was laughable how they would find any story to fit in with the picture they had managed to get of some B list celeb with their top off.

[dougnewmanatsea]

I'm not sure which is more surprising - the record or you reading the Sun!

Indeed, surely that is for Ocean Village pax not Cunard ;) ?

 

Seriously, as much as I dislike the Sun generally (and Rupert Murdoch even more generally), it is at least nice to see a newspaper that actually offers regular cruise coverage!

 

His statistic might not be correct but the author of the article, Steve Read, is actually a very nice guy and a real cruise enthusiast.

 

In many other papers I often get the impression that on the rare occasion they cover cruising, the person writing the article had to be dragged kicking and screaming to do it :rolleyes: ...

[JDRMYS]

I'm surprised to see that the old chestnut of transatlantic speed is still an issue since most people have crossed the Atlantic by jet for almost 50 years. I was thrilled when, at the end of the France's career, the crossing was slowed down to 7 days instead of 5 to save fuel costs although I thought that the 2 extra days' consumption of truffles, foie gras and caviar in the Restaurant Chambord might have cost more than the extra fuel.

 

The best crossing I ever had on the QE2 (in 1976) was also extra long (8 days, I believe) since one of the 2 propellers broke a couple of days into the trip and we limped along very slowly -- with no firm estimate of when we would reach New York. My tablemates in the Queen's Grill and I were very happy. None of the passengers complained.

 

Nowadays, we tend to take long transatlantic crossings in the spring and fall repositioning seasons.

[pnhmrk]

The best crossing I ever had on the QE2 (in 1976) was also extra long (8 days, I believe) since one of the 2 propellers broke a couple of days into the trip and we limped along very slowly -- with no firm estimate of when we would reach New York. My tablemates in the Queen's Grill and I were very happy. None of the passengers complained.

I wonder if we would be bad hoping for something similar in October 08? Not a major problem - just something that would delay her until 2009

[guernseyguy]

I wonder if we would be bad hoping for something similar in October 08? Not a major problem - just something that would delay her until 2009

 

Not going to happen - she needs a major overhaul starting November 2008.....hence, I suspect, the date of the sale....

 

http://www.cdlive.lr.org/vesselstatus.asp?LRNO=6725418

 

Peter

 

BTW, does anyone know the Lloyds Registry number of the QM2?

[pnhmrk]

she needs a major overhaul starting November 2008

 

Good:) It means there's more chance of her breaking down in the October:D

[guernseyguy]

Good:) It means there's more chance of her breaking down in the October:D

 

And being towed to Dubai?:(