quote:
SPEED SAILING RECORD ATTEMPT
On July 4th the undisputed icons and world champions of windsurfing Bj–rn Dunkerbeck & Robby Naish are about to embark on breaking a new frontier in sailing when they set out to become the fastest men on water.
As long as the sailing sport has been in existence, the quest to break the wind speed barriers remained an elusive dream for many. Both Dunkerbeck & Naish together with a selected group of the sailing worlds finest will gather at three locations around the globe, waiting for just the right conditions, to not only challenge the world record of 46.52knots but to break the 50 knots barrier.
The Challengers will embark on their quest for 28 days in the Canary Islands and eventually travel to Southern France?s Mediterranean Sea before catching the winds of spring on the shores of New Zealand?s Pacific coastline. They will leave nothing to chance, in their search for just the right wind and favorable water conditions.
More Information: http://www.worldspeedsailing.com/start_fr.html
Fingers crossed... wishing them luck!
Got me thinking though. When I'm speeding along at 'Warp Speed Mr Zulu' on the Axxis overpowered on a 5.4 in a force 5-6, does anyone
have ANY idea of how fast we are going at such a time? I haven't a clue... 10Kts, 20, 25??? I don't mean bumbling along on a
widestyle with a marquee of a sail, but zipping along. Over to the jury...
Don't know the board etc, but was driving along next to Poole Harbour last winter and a there was a windsurfer keeping up with me when
I was doing about 30MPH.
I also remember a GPS test in boards about 3 years ago where he used the plot and info on the system to check his speed and I am sure I
remember low to mid 30's being mentioned.
Don't know how much extra speed is achieved when I catapult but I recon I must be doing close to 150MPH when I hit the water
I'm not entirely sure either and would like to know, but at a guess I'd say that most competent windsurfers probably get to about 25
knots when flat out, and occasionally on dead flat water when really going for it on a fast board they might make it to 30 knots, but
not a lot faster unless on fairly specialised kit.
I know when I sailed a Sputnik 270 a couple of times it was considerably faser than anything else I'd ever sailed, MUCH, MUCH, MUCH
faster than the Axxis 'ajdesq' is sailing at the mo. I reckon on that I was probably getting to about 35 knots on the odd run, but I
probably wouldn't sustain that speed over a 500m speed course.
Al.
If anybody is really serious about knowing exactly what speed they're going, then Speed trials are going to be re-launched at West
Kirby this year run by D-Spot wetsports and iWindsurf.co.uk.
It will be on a turn up and sail basis with the emphasis on Fun and enjoyment, but we will have highly accurate timing gear and Prizes
for the fastest sailors in a number of category's
If interested I'll post again with details Otherwise info on dates will be available on iWindsurf.co.uk as each event is called.
Sailed at West Kirby for the RAF speed sailing champs in 95. We were using the BWA speed measuring kit over a 100m course. Fastest
speed I got along the wall was 43.6 mph which is about 36 knots using a Mistral electron and a Neil Pryde VX Ltd 5.8 in a F7-8, though
turning at the end was a challenge.
Most recently (2000), in a more realistic sea state was the RAF champs again out in Moon Beach using a speed gun. The person using the
speed gun just pointed it at the sailor as they bore off onto a broad reach approaching the beach. We were using the hire kit from Moon
Beach and everybody was clocked between 30 - 33 mph using 7m sails and 120L boards. Bearing in mind that the wind speed was only 18mph
it just goes to show how efficient the kit is.
only 9 days to go till they start, a bit of wind and flat water and I'm sure the record will go, with joe public able to do 30mph + on
production kit it's got to be there for the taking.
Also be interesting to see which of the sailors involved is the quickest, anyone want to bet against dunkerbeck ?