Sailor Wows Schoolkids by Previewing Try at World Record

Dozens of Tustin Ranch Elementary School students listened in amazement Friday morning while Tustin resident Gino Morrelli showed photographs of the catamaran he and his crew will be taking to try to break a sailing record from New York to England.

The students will watch Morrelli’s 3,000-mile voyage via the Internet during his attempt to break the transatlantic world record, set in 1990.

The 11-man crew has to sail from New York City to Lizard Head, England, in less than six days, 13 hours and three minutes to beat the record.

“If we are lucky, we will get there faster,” Morrelli said to the young crowd.

Morrelli designed the catamaran, called Play Station, five years ago with business partner Pete Melvin, who is also a crew member. Their company, Morrelli & Melvin Design & Engineering, is based in Newport Beach.

The crew, which includes world-record-setting yachtsman and balloonist Steve Fossett as the skipper, hopes to break several records with the 105-foot-long, 150-foot-tall boat.

In March, the crew beat the 24-hour world record by sailing 580 miles. The previous record was 530 miles.

“It’s a steppingstone,” said Morrelli, who designed the Stars and Stripes catamaran that won the 1988 America’s Cup. “The ultimate goal is to break the around-the-world record.”

Morrelli and crew will attempt to break that record in February or March, but beating the transatlantic record is the first priority. The crew will be on standby beginning today.

Morrelli said the weather should be good sometime before the end of November, and the crew is closely watching a hurricane near Puerto Rico.

“As soon as there is a weather window that we like, we will take off,” Morrelli said.

Although the crew has thoroughly prepared for its voyage and has the advantage of advanced weather-monitoring technology compared with the crew that set the current record 10 years ago, Morrelli said, beating the record will still be a major feat.

“This record is very tough,” Morrelli said. “Even though we have a faster boat, there is no guarantee we can do it.”

Fourth-grader Giovanni Morrelli said he thought it was really cool to have his father speak in front of the students at his school, and he was proud that his dad had already beat one world record.

“I’m going to get a copy of the Guinness Book [of World Records] so I can see it,” said the 9-year-old with a big smile.

Giovanni’s dad said he was happy to share his lifelong sailing dreams with his children’s classmates and can’t wait for the phone call telling him to drop what he is doing and hop on a plane to New York.

“It’s very big,” he said. “This is like an America’s Cup for me.”

Those interested in tracking Play Station through its voyage across the Atlantic can visit the Web site https://www.fossettchallenge.com/.

Marissa Espino can be reached at (714) 966-5879