Fast and luxurious liners could not beat the speed of the airplane, which meant the end of the Blue Riband. However, in 1986 Richard Branson of the Virgin Group challenged the achievement of the UNITED STATES with his yacht VIRGIN ATLANTIC CHALLENGER II. He improved the record with 2 hours 9 minutes, but the powerboat was not considered as a merchant ship, and the trophy was not awarded.

In 1990 a British channel ferry, HOVERSPEED GREAT BRITAIN, on her way from the yard in Tasmania where she was built to Engeland, sailed from New York to England in 3 days 7 hours and and 25 minutes. After long discussions this record was recognized.

This trick was repeated in 1998 by the CAT-LINK V, built on the same yard in Tasmania. The ship sailed for Scandlines in Denmark, and is the last Blue Riband carrier....for now? Both HOVERSPEED GREAT BRITAIN and CAT-LINK V are of the same type (Seacat) as the CONDOR 10 which sails betwen the Channel islands.

It is improbable that there will ever be a new transatlantic passenger service. But these last record trials show that the history book of the Blue Riband is not necessarily closed yet.