She is not the holder of the record for the eastbound crossing. In 1990, Hoverspeed Great Britain—an oceangoing catamaran—took the Blue Riband at an average speed of 36.6 knots.
OK here comes the real facts...
Her crossing over the atlantic in 1952 took 3 days 10 hours 42 mins with an avarage speed of 35.59 KN wich made her the fastest liner crossing the atlantic at that time.
and some ship facts...
* Her 241,000 horsepower engines allowed her to reach a top speed of 43 knots (79.12 km/hr or 49.48 mph) At 990'6" in length, she is the largest passenger vessel ever built in the United States.
* Materials in construction included over 2,000 tons of aluminum; she has a power-to-weight ratio that has never been equaled.
* She could steam 10,000 miles without stopping for fuel or supplies.
* The ship was totally fireproof, being constructed completely of non-flammable materials (publicists were so fond of pointing out that the only wood on board were in her pianos and the chopping blocks).
It is now known that the SS United States achieved speeds exceeding 44
knots, or 50mph (footnote by the SS United States Foundation).
I hope someof you can use this info..
regards
Nicolai