9:26 AM Mon 17 Nov 2008 GMT
 | | 'The Maritimo 500 backs out from the Hope Island facility at the start of its 800 nautical mile voyage to Noumea. - Maritimo conquers the Coral Sea'
Peter Jenkins
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A Maritimo 500 Convertible, skippered by its new owner and with another two aboard, has crossed the Coral Sea from Southport to Noumea in just on 80-hours running time.
Powered by dual C12 Caterpillar diesels, each delivering 715hp, the convertible, hull # 8 of the design introduced only last May at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show, returned excellent fuel consumption figures.
The crew filled a 1000-litre fuel bladder in case of emergency, but it was not required, the vessel's 3500-litre tankage proving perfectly adequate for the 800 nautical mile voyage.
 | Tiality’s crew filling the 1000-litre fuel bladder carried ’just in case’. It was not required. - Maritimo conquers the Coral Sea - Peter Jenkins |
Owner M. Thierry Raynaud only undertook minimum sea trials on the Gold Coast before heading out.
Named 'Tiality', a combination of family names, the Maritimo 500 was untroubled throughout the voyage.
Although no crew member was a skilled navigator, Maritimo marketing manager Peter Jenkins said the Furuno navigation equipment on board proved perfectly capable.
"I take my hat off to them," Jenkins said.
"By all reports the voyage was faultless, but it's not every day we see a new owner head off for an 800 nautical mile run."
 | Farewell wave and Tiality heads out from Maritimo’s Hope Island facility, nothing ahead but 800 nautical miles of Coral Sea. - Maritimo conquers the Coral Sea - Peter Jenkins |
by Bob Wonders
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Cape Leeuwin, WA
