Top speeds

The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race is rowed annually on the River Thames, London, and covers 6.8km. The Oxford crew won in 1998 in a record time of 16 minutes 19 seconds, equivalent to a speed of 25 km/h. Steam ships began carrying passengers across the Atlantic between Europe and the USA in 1838. In the early years, the journey could take 18 days or longer. Shipping companies competed with each other and the fastest ship carried a blue flag, or Blue Riband. There were separate Blue Ribands for westbound and eastbound crossings, and after 1934 an award, the Hales Trophy, was presented to the ship with the fastest average speed. In 1952 the newly launched liner SS United States won both the westbound and eastbound Blue Riband with the time of 3 days 10 hours 40 minutes, and the Hales Trophy with an average speed of 65.9 km/h. Cat – Link V, a Danish catamaran ferry, is the current Blue Riband and Hales Trophy holder.