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:''For use of the related term "Blue Ribbon", see Blue ribbon (disambiguation).''
The 'Blue Riband' is the award received by the ship with the record for the fastest transatlantic crossing. The first steam powered crossing of the Atlantic was in 1833. The Blue Riband was a creation of the transatlantic shipping companies in the 1860s, for the publicity opportunities of possessing the fastest ship. There were separate awards for the fastest eastbound and westbound crossings. It was represented by a blue pennant flown from the topmast of the ship, until 1935 when Sir Harold Keates Hales (1868-1942), a British politician and owner of Hales Brothers shipping company,
initiated a trophy.
The Hales Trophy is awarded on the basis of average speed, since the distance of transatlantic routes varies. Theoretically the endpoints could be any port in the Canadian Maritimes or the Eastern Seaboard of the United States in the west, and any port in Ireland, Britain, or western Europe in the east, but traditionally routings considered for transatlantic records tend to involve service to or from New York City. The last "superliner" to hold the trophy was the SS ''United States'', which set a time that was not beaten until 1990.

Contents

Holders of the Blue Riband

Westbound

Eastbound

References

Holders of the Blue Riband

Some of the ships that held the record for the fastest crossing, including those recorded before the Blue Riband was instituted, with the date first achieved:

Westbound

Steamer	Date	Line	From	To	Nautical Miles	Days/Hours/Minutes	Knots
''Sirius''	1838 (4/4-22/4)	B&A	Cork	Sandy Hook	3583	18/14/22	8.03
''Great Western''	1838 (8/4-23/4)	GW	Avonmouth	New York	3220	15/12/0	8.66
''Great Western''	1839 (2/6-17/6)	GW	Avonmouth	New York	3140	14/16/0	8.92
''Great Western''	1839 (18/5-31/5)	GW	Avonmouth	New York	3086	13/12/0	9.52
''Columbia''	1841 (4/6-15/6)	Cunard	Liverpool	Halifax	(2534)	10/19/0	(9.78)
''Great Western''	1843 (29/4-11/5)	GW	Liverpool	New York	3068	12/18/0	10.03
''Cambria''	1845 (19/7-29/7)	Cunard	Liverpool	Halifax	(2534)	9/20/30	(10.71)
''America''	1848 (3/6-12/6)	Cunard	Liverpool	Halifax	(2534)	9/0/16	(11.71)
''Europa''	1848 (14/10-23/10)	Cunard	Liverpool	Halifax	(2534)	8/23/0	(11.79)
''Asia''	1850 (18/5-27/5)	Cunard	Liverpool	Halifax	(2534)	8/14/50	(12.25)
''Pacific''	1850 (11/9 21/9)	Collins	Liverpool	New York	(3050)	10/4/45	(12.46)
''Baltic''	1851 (6/8-16/8)	Collins	Liverpool	New York	3039	9/19/26	12.91
''Baltic''	1854 (28/6-7/7)	Collins	Liverpool	New York	3037	9/16/52	13.04
''Persia''	1856 (19/4-29/4)	Cunard	Liverpool	Sandy Hook	(3045)	9/16/16	(13.11)
''Scotia''	1863 (19/7-27/7)	Cunard	Queenstown	New York	(2820)	8/3/0	(14.46)
''Adriatic''	1872 (17/5-25/5)	W.Star	Queenstown	Sandy Hook	2778	7/23/17	14.53
''Germanic''	1875 (30/7-7/8)	W.Star	Queenstown	Sandy Hook	2800	7/23/7	14.65
''City Of Berlin''	1875 (17/9-25/9)	Inman	Queenstown	Sandy Bank	2829	7/18/2	15.21
''Britannic''	1876 (27/10-4/11)	W.Star	Queenstown	Sandy Hook	2795	7/13/11	15.43
''Germanic''	1877 (6/4-13/4)	W.Star	Queenstown	Sandy Hook	2830	7/11/37	15.76
''Alaska''	1882 (9/4-16/4)	Guion	Queenstown	Sandy Hook	2802	7/6/20	16.07
''Alaska''	1882 (14/5-21/5)	Guion	Queenstown	Sandy Hook	2871	7/4/12	16.67
''Alaska''	1882 (18/6-25/6)	Guion	Queenstown	Sandy Hook	2836	7/1/58	16.98
''Alaska''	1883 (29/4-6/5)	Guion	Queenstown	Sandy Hook	2844	6/23/48	17.05
''Oregon''	1884 (13/4-19/4)	Guion	Queenstown	Sandy Hook	2861	6/10/10	18.56
''Etruria''	1885 (16/8- 22/8)	Cunard	Queenstown	Sandy Hook	2801	6/5/31	18.73
''RMS Umbria''	1887 (29/5-4/6)	Cunard	Queenstown	Sandy Hook	2848	6/4/12	19.22
''Etruria''	1888 (27/5-2/6)	Cunard	Queenstown	Sandy Hook	2854	6/1/55	19.56
''City of Paris''	1889 (2/5-8/5)	I&I	Queenstown	Sandy Hook	2855	5/23/7	19.95
''City of Paris''	1889 (22/8-28/8)	I&I	Queenstown	Sandy Hook	2788	5/19/18	20.01
''Majestic''	1891 (30/7-5/8)	W.Star	Queenstown	Sandy Hook	2777	5/18/8	20.10
''Teutonic''	1891 (13/8-19/8)	W.Star	Queenstown	Sandy Hook	2778	5/16/31	20.35
''City of Paris''	1892 (20/7-27/7)	I&I	Queenstown	Sandy Book	2735	5/15/58	20.48
''City of Paris''	1892 (13/10-18/10)	I&I	Queenstown	Sandy Hook	2782	5/14/24	20.70
''Campania''	1893 (18/6-23/6)	Cunard	Queenstown	Sandy Hook	2864	5/15/37	21.12
''Campania''	1894 (12/8-17/8)	Cunard	Queenstown	Sandy Hook	2776	5/9/29	21.44
''Lucania''	1894 (26/8-31/3)	Cunard	Queenstown	Sandy Hook	2787	5/8/38	21.65
''Lucania''	1894 (23/9-28/9)	Cunard	Queenstown	Sandy Hook	2782	5/7/48	21.75
''Lucania''	1894 (21/10-26/10)	Cunard	Queenstown	Sandy Hook	2779	5/7/23	21.81
''Kaiser Wilhelm der Große''	1898 (30/3-3/4)	NDL	Needles	Sandy Hook	3120	5/20/0	22.29
''Deutschland''	1900 (6/7-12/7)	Hapag	Eddystone	Sandy Hook	3044	5/15/46	22.42
''Deutschland''	1900 (26/8-1/9)	Hapag	Cherbourg	Sandy Hook	3050	5/12/29	23.02
''Deutschland''	1901 (26/7-1/8)	Hapag	Cherbourg	Sandy Hook	3141	5/16/12	23.06
''Kronprinz Wilhelm''	1902 (10/9-16/9)	NDL	Cherbourg	Sandy Hook	3047	5/11/57	23.09
''Deutschland''	1903 (2/9-8/9)	Hapag	Cherbourg	Sandy Hook	3054	5/11/54	23.15
''Lusitania''	1907 (6/10-10/10)	Cunard	Queenstown	Sandy Hook	2780	4/19/52	23.99
''Lusitania''	1908 (17/5-21/5)	Cunard	Queenstown	Sandy Hook	2889	4/20/22	24.83
''Lusitania''	1908 (5/7-10/7)	Cunard	Queenstown	Sandy Hook	2891	4/19/36	25.01
''Lusitania''	1909 (8/8-12/8)	Cunard	Queenstown	Ambrose	2890	4/16/40	25.65
''Mauretania''	1909 (26/9-30/9)	Cunard	Queenstown	Ambrose	2784	4/10/51	26.06
''Bremen''	1929 (17/7-22/7)	NDL	Cherbourg	Ambrose	3164	4/17/42	27.83
''Europa''	1930 (20/3-25/3)	NDL	Cherbourg	Ambrose	3157	4/17/6	27.91
''Europa''	1933 (27/6-2/7)	NDL	Cherbourg	Ambrose	3149	4/16/48	27.92
''Rex''	1933 (11/8-16/8)	Italian	Gibraltar	Ambrose	3181	4/13/58	28.92
''Normandie''	1935 (30/5-3/6)	CGT	Bishop Rock	Ambrose	2971	4/3/2	29.98
''Queen Mary''	1936 (20/8-24/8)	C-WS	Bishop Rock	Ambrose	2907	4/0/27	30.14
''Normandie''	1937 (29/7-1/8)	CGT	Bishop Rock	Ambrose	2906	3/23/2	30.58
''Queen Mary''	1938 (4/8-8/8)	C-WS	Bishop Rock	Ambrose	2907	3/21/48	30.99
''United States''	1952 (11/7-15/7)	USL	Bishop Rock	Ambrose	2906	3/12/12	34.51

Eastbound

Steamer	Date	Line	From	To	Nautical Miles	Days/Hours/Minutes	Knots
''Sirius''	1838 (1/5-19/5)	B&A	New York	Falmouth	(3159)	(18/0/0)	(7.31)
''Great Western''	1838 (7/5-22/5)	GW	New York	Avonmouth	3218	14/15/59	9.14
''Great Western''	1838 (25/6-8/7)	GW	New York	Avonmouth	3099	12/16/34	10.17
''Britannia''	1840 (4/8-14/8)	Cunard	Halifax	Liverpool	(2610)	9/21/44	(10.98)
''Great Western''	1842 (28/4-11/5)	GW	New York	Liverpool	3248	12/7/30	10.99
''Columbia''	1843 (4/4-14/4)	Cunard	Halifax	Liverpool	(2534)	9/12/0	(11.11)
''Hibernia''	1843 (18/5-27/5)	Cunard	Halifax	Liverpool	(2534)	9/10/44	(11.18)
''Hibernia''	1843 (18/7-27/7)	Cunard	Halifax	Liverpool	(2534)	8/22/44	(11.80)
''Canada''	1849 (19/7-28/7)	Cunard	Halifax	Liverpool	(2534)	8/12/44	(12.38)
''Pacific''	1851 (10/5-20/5)	Collins	New York	Liverpool	(3078)	9/20/14	(13.03)
''Arctic''	1852 (7/2-17/2)	Collins	New York	Liverpool	3051	9/17/15	13.06
''Persia''	1856 (2/4-12/4)	Cunard	Sandy Hook	Liverpool	(3048)	9/10/22	(13.46)
''Persia''	1856 (14/5-23/5)	Cunard	Sandy Hook	Liverpool	(3048)	9/3/24	(13.89)
''Persia''	1856 (6/8-15/8)	Cunard	Sandy Hook	Liverpool	(3046)	8/23/19	(14.15)
''Scotia''	1863 (16/12-24/12)	Cunard	New York	Queenstown	(2800)	8/5/42	(14.16)
''City of Brussels''	1869 (4/12-12/12)	Inman	Sandy Hook	Queenstown	(2780)	7/20/33	(14.74)
''Baltic''	1873 (11/1-19/1)	W.Star	Sandy Hook	Queenstown	2840	7/20/9	15.09
''City of Berlin''	1875 (2/10-10/10)	Inman	Sandy Hook	Queenstown	2820	7/15/28	15.37
''Germanic''	1876 (5/2-13/2)	W.Star	Sandy Hook	Queenstown	2894	7/15/17	15.79
''Britannic''	1876 (16/12-24/12)	W.Star	Sandy Hook	Queenstown	2892	7/12/41	15.94
''Arizona''	1879 (22/7-29/7)	Guion	Sandy Hook	Queenstown	2810	7/8/11	15.96
''Alaska''	1882 (30/5-6/6)	Guion	Sandy Hook	Queenstown	(2791)	6/22/0	(16.81)
''Alaska''	1882 (12/9-19/9)	Guion	Sandy Hook	Queenstown	2781	6/18/37	17.10
''Oregon''	1884 (29/3-5/4)	Guion	Sandy Hook	Queenstown	2916	7/2/18	17.12
''Oregon''	1884 (26/4-3/5)	Guion	Sandy Hook	Queenstown	291	6/16/57	18.09
''Oregon''	1884 (30/7-6/8)	Cunard	Sandy Hook	Queenstown	2853	6/12/54	18.18
''Oregon''	1884 (3/9-10/9)	Cunard	Sandy Hook	Queenstown	2853	6/11/9	18.39
''Etruria''	1885 (1/8-7/8)	Cunard	Sandy Hook	Queenstown	2822	6/9/0	18.44
''Etruria''	1888 (7/7-14/7)	Cunard	Sandy Hook	Queenstown	2981	6/4/50	19.36
''City of Paris''	1889 (15/5-22/5)	I&I	Sandy Hook	Queenstown	2894	6/0/29	20.03
''City of New York''	1892 (17/8-23/8)	I&I	Sandy Hook	Queenstown	2814	5/19/57	20.11
''Campania''	1893 (6/5-12/5)	Cunard	Sandy Hook	Queenstown	2928	5/17/27	21.30
''Lucania''	1894 (6/5-12/5)	Cunard	Sandy Hook	Queenstown	2911	3/13/28	21.81
''Lucania''	1894 (2/6-8/6)	Cunard	Sandy Hook	Queenstown	2911	5/12/59	21.90
''Lucania''	1895 (18/5-24/5)	Cunard	Sandy Hook	Queenstown	2897	5/11/40	22.00
''Kaiser Wilhelm der Große''	1897 (23/11-29/11)	NDL	Sandy Hook	Needles	3065	5/17/23	22.33
''Deutschland''	1900 (18/7-24/7)	Hapag	Sandy Hook	Eddystone	3085	5/15/5	22.84
''Deutschland''	1900 (4/9-10/9)	Hapag	Sandy Hook	Eddystone	2981	5/7/38	23.36
''Deutschland''	1901 (13/6-19/6)	Hapag	Sandy Hook	Eddystone	3083	5/11/51	23.38
''Deutschland''	1901 (10/7-17/7)	Hapag	Sandy Hook	Eddystone	3082	5/11/5	23.51
''Kaiser Wilhelm II''	1904 (14/6-20/6)	NDL	Sandy Hook	Eddystone	3112	5/11/58	23.58
''Lusitania''	1907 (19/10-24/10)	Cunard	Sandy Hook	Queenstown	2807	4/22/53	23.61
''Mauretania''	1907 (30/11-5/12)	Cunard	Beady Hook	Queenstown	2807	4/22/33	23.69
''Mauretania''	1908 (25/1-30/1)	Cunard	Sandy Hook	Queenstown	2932	5/2/41	23.90
''Mauretania''	1908 (7/3-12/3)	Cunard	Sandy Hook	Queenstown	2932	5/0/5	24.42
''Mauretania''	1909 (3/2-8/2)	Cunard	Ambrose	Queenstown,	2930	4/20/27	25.16
''Mauretania''	1909 (17/3-22/3)	Cunard	Ambrose	Queenstown	2934	4/18/35	25.61
''Mauretania''	1909 (5/5-10/5)	Cunard	Ambrose	Queenstown	2934	4/18/11	25.70
''Mauretania''	1909 (16/6-21/6)	Cunard	Ambrose	Queenstown	2933	4/17/21	25.88
''Mauretania''	1924 (20/8-25/8)	Cunard	Ambrose	Cherbourg	3198	5/1/49	26.25
''Bremen''	1929 (27/7-1/8)	NDL	Ambrose	Eddystone	3084	4/14/30	27.91
''Bremen''	1933 (10/6-15/6)	NDL	Ambrose	Cherbourg	3199	4/16/15	28.51
''Normandie''	1935 (7/6-11/6)	CGT	Ambrose	Bishop Rock	3015	4/3/25	30.31
''Queen Mary''	1936 (26/8-30/8)	C-WS	Ambrose	Bishop Rock	2939	3/23/57	30.63
''Normandie''	1937 (18/3-22/3)	CGT	Ambrose	Bishop Rock	2967	4/0/6	30.99
''Normandie''	1937 (4/8-8/8)	CGT	Ambrose	Bishop Rock	2936	3/22/7	31.20
''Queen Mary''	1938 (10/8-14/8)	C-WS	Ambrose	Bishop Rock	2938	3/20/42	31.69
''United States''	1952 (3/7-7/7)	USL	Ambrose	Bishop Rock	2942	3/10/40	35.59
''Hoverspeed Great Britain''	1990 Jun 23					3/7/54	36.6
''Catalonia''	1998 Jun 9					3/9/40	38.9
''Cat-Link V'' (or today ''Master Cat'')	1998 Jul 20					2/20/9	41.3

References

★ Arnd Stroeh, "From Superliners to Airliners", as of February 27, 2003; [1]

★ The Blue Riband of the North Atlantic, westbound and eastbound holders, greatships.net; [2]

★
★ which cites:

★
★ North Atlantic Seaway, Vol. 5, N.R.P. Bonsor, 1980

★ Danish ferry sets new Atlantic-crossing record!!, vulkanusa.com; [3]

★ The Hales Trophy, seacontainers.com; [4]

★ Kludas, Arnold. ''Record breakers of the North Atlantic - Blue Riband Liners 1838-1952'', Chatham Publishing, London, 2000.

★ Information about the Kronprinz Wilhelm's award-winning voyage