A daring world record attempt unfolded on Italy’s Mediterranean coast on Thursday, as driver Fabio Barone sought to establish the fastest car on a boat, racing across the flight deck of a navy vessel.
Barone, who last year set the Italian Timekeepers Federation’s record at 152 kilometres per hour (94.4 mph) on another aircraft carrier in southern Italy, aimed higher this time. In Civitavecchia, a coastal town near Rome, his ambition was to hit 160 kph before braking sharply, narrowly avoiding the deck’s "ski jump" and a nearby cruise ship.
However, the attempt faced an early hurdle. Race engineer Alessandro Tedino revealed to The Associated Press that the record’s attainability was uncertain after the ship’s flight deck was discovered to be wet following a night at sea. The crew promptly worked to dry the surface, with the task completed by the warmth of the late summer sun.
“If it remained wet, then of course it’s impossible to have the maximum speed and best brakes. It can be very, very dangerous,” he said.
As the “Top Gun” theme song rang out from speakers, the carrier’s portside elevator lifted Barone’s team to the deck where journalists, naval officers and VIPs waited. A group of children with Down syndrome, chosen to serve as honorary “mechanics for the day,” removed the red, satiny cover to reveal Barone’s steed: a red-and-black Ferrari SF90.
Barone eased himself into the supercar, then drove back and forth along the length of the deck several times to warm up its V-8 turbo engine. It roared louder with each pass as he pushed its 1,085 horses harder and harder. Then he placed himself at the far end of the 236-meter (774-foot) flight deck and awaited the all-clear.
“Here he goes! Here he goes!” the announcer called as Barone left his mark and zipped past the crowd. Mere seconds later he came to a safe stop, and the crowd applauded haltingly — impressed by the speedy spectacle, but unsure if he’d beaten the record. The official timekeeper approached the car and inspected the gauges within.
“The detected velocity: 164 kilometers per hour (101 mph). I declare it the new speed record on a ship!” he said, prompting hearty applause from the sidelines.
Barone lifted his arms to the sky, then hugged his crew, helmet still in place. Reporters swarmed.
“The main thing you focus on is concentration and then you realize that you are breaking the record only when you are halfway,” Barone said. “I have two hands, two feet and I use them at the same time like a pianist.”
Tedino said that Barone’s team will now submit their certified result to Guinness World Records, which did not immediately return the AP's email request for comment.
