<P> The Blue Riband is awarded for the record fastest crossing by transatlantic liner . The current eastbound record was set by the American ocean liner United States in July 1952: the ship made the crossing in 3 days, 10 hours, 40 minutes . Guinness Book of World Records has awarded world records to various classes such as luxury liners, sail boats, and rowing boats . </P> <P> During World War II the transatlantic crossing was very important for the United Kingdom as much of Europe had been taken over by Germany and its allies preventing trade and supplies; the struggle is known as the Battle of the Atlantic . </P> <P> Transatlantic flight surpassed ocean liners as the predominant mode of crossing the Atlantic in the mid 20th century . In 1919, the American NC - 4 became the first airplane to cross the Atlantic (but in multiple stages). Later that year, a British Vickers Vimy piloted by Alcock and Brown made the first non-stop transatlantic flight from Newfoundland to Ireland . Also in 1919, the British were the first to cross the Atlantic in an airship when the R34 captained by Major George Herbert Scott of the Royal Air Force with his crew and passengers flew from East Fortune, Scotland to Mineola, Long Island, covering a distance of about 3,000 statute miles (4,800 km) in about four and a half days; he then made a return trip to England, thus also completing the first double crossing of the Atlantic (east--west--east). In 1927, Charles Lindbergh made the first solo non-stop transatlantic flight in an airplane (between New York City and Paris). The second solo piloting, and the first to carry a passenger, was Clarence Duncan Chamberlin on June 6, 1927 . Edward R. Armstrong proposed a string of anchored "seadromes" to refuel planes in a crossing . </P> <P> The first serious attempt to take a share of the transatlantic passenger market away from the ocean liners was undertaken by Germany . In the 1930s, Germany crossed the Atlantic with Zeppelins that could carry about 60 passengers in a similar luxurious style to the ocean liners . However, the Hindenburg disaster in 1937 put an end to transatlantic Zeppelin flights . </P>

How long does it take to cross atlantic ocean by boat