One man in an Italian supercar atop an aircraft carrier has a record in his sights

CIVITAVECCHIA Italy AP Along Italy s Mediterranean coast on Thursday driver Fabio Barone raced across the flight deck of a navy ship while chasing a world record the fastest car on a boat Last year Barone set the Italian Timekeepers Federation s record on another aircraft carrier in southern Italy hitting kilometers per hour mph In Civitavecchia on the coast near Rome he aimed to reach at least kph mph and then hit the brakes in time to avoid launching off the deck s so-called ski jump and smashing into the cruise ship stationed just fore Race engineer Alessandro Tedino narrated The Associated Press that he wasn t sure the new record was attainable The ship had been out at sea overnight and the crew emerged in the early morning to find its flight deck wet They promptly set to drying it with the job finished by late summer sunbeams If it remained wet then of discipline it s impossible to have the maximum speed and best brakes It can be very very dangerous he declared As the Top Gun theme song rang out from speakers the carrier s portside elevator lifted Barone s unit 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 SF Barone eased himself into the supercar then drove back and forth along the length of the deck several times to warm up its V- turbo engine It roared louder with each pass as he pushed its horses harder and harder Then he placed himself at the far end of the -meter -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 kilometers per hour mph I declare it the new speed record on a ship he reported 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 urgent the record only when you are halfway Barone declared I have two hands two feet and I use them at the same time like a pianist Tedino announced that Barone s squad will now submit their certified outcome to Guinness World Records which stated the AP in an email Thursday afternoon that we look forward to receiving and reviewing the application and supporting evidence for his latest attempt AP videojournalist Paolo Santalucia contributed Source