By KATE FEIFFER

This one is for the record books. Literally. A few minutes after noon on Wednesday, Ashrita Furman officially set a new world record for the three-minute grape catch, having caught 189 grapes in his mouth. The event took place in the parking lot of the Bunch of Grapes Bookstore. Naturally.

Mr. Furman and accomplished grape-tosser Bipin Larkin, both of Queens, N.Y., are the reigning Guinness Book of World Records three-minute and one-minute grape catch record holders.

It’s worth noting that Mr. Furman currently has so many records to his name that he holds the record for having the most Guinness Book of World Records. In 2010 alone, his prolific record-breaking achievements include: juggling three balls underwater for one hour, 19 minutes and 58 seconds; spitting a table tennis ball over 42 feet; standing on a rolling globe for 43 minutes and 56 seconds; and getting 56 pies tossed in his face in one minute, making that almost one pie landing per second. The duo, who claim about 10 records together, decided to challenge their own grape-catching record, in part according to Mr. Furman, to thwart “Steve the Grape Guy,” the original record grape-catching holder and a serious contender.

The grape-catching team arrived on the Vineyard on Wednesday morning, with a videographer and extra grape counter, feeling confident. “Bipin’s a good athlete,” said Mr. Furman. “He is accurate and fast.” According to Mr. Furman, the challenge is more in the throwing than the catching of the grapes.

The two men study meditation together in New York and Mr. Furman attributes his quest to break records to a drive for enlightenment. “It’s really all about the meditation and self-transcendence,” he says. “We all have tremendous strength within and if we can learn how to quiet the mind and go inside our heart, then we can do anything.” And he says, he’s having fun.

A crowd of about 30 spectators, ranging in age from five to 50, gathered in the heat of the midday sun. Mr. Furman, a slender man casually dressed in a light blue T-shirt and khaki shorts, stood behind a blue line 15 feet away from Mr. Larkin and a large bowl of organically-grown purple grapes. Both men appeared relaxed and chatted with the excited onlookers. Before the first grape was tossed, Mr. Furman explained the official rules, as determined by the rule makers at Guinness. The grapes had to be picked from the bunch and washed. The two needed to stand 15 feet apart.

“This is for the greatest number caught, not eaten,” explained Mr. Furman. He held in his left hand a large plastic pitcher.

After a practice round, the crowd stood in stunned silence. For three minutes, he bobbed and weaved. His eyes focused on the onslaught of oncoming grapes. He squatted down, kept his mouth agape and caught grapes. In the end, with the final tally still unofficial, grape catcher and thrower alike were certain that the record had been squashed like a, well you know.

“I thought it was really impressive. I can tell it’s really hard,” said 10-year-old Max Berman, of West Hartford, Conn.

“I thought it was really cool having a world record broken,” said Connor Levy, 11, of Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Cole Levy, 9, speculated that if given the opportunity, he would be able to catch 159 grapes in five minutes.

Added Mason Marsh, 10, of Scarsdale, N.Y.: “I’ll probably remember this for a long time.”

Perhaps it goes without saying, but once The Guinness Book of World Records authenticates this record, the Vineyard will have a new grape of record.