TIME Coolest Inventions 2004: Mari-Cha IV Yacht

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DREAM BOAT
Mari-Cha IV Yacht

Inventors: Mari-Cha IV design team
Availability: Now, $12.6 million
To Learn More: mari-chaIV.com
The world's fastest yacht with a single hull is a 140-ft. carbon-fiber wonder. With two 148-ft. masts and five sails, the silver-colored Mari-Cha IV, owned by billionaire Robert Miller, can travel at speeds of up to 36 knots, about twice what other boats its size can do. It holds four world records, including the West Marine Pacific Cup, a race from San Francisco to Hawaii, which it won this past July.

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BY ANITA HAMILTON, MARYANNE MURRAY BUECHNER, LEV GROSSMAN, SIMON CRITTLE AND SORA SONG / WITH REPORTING BY HANNA KITE AND YUKI ODA/TOKYO

PHOTOGRAPH BY THIERRY MARTINEZ