54 knots on a kite board can you even imagine?
Paul Larsen is a friend who was here in Newport for the C-Class championships in September. He is building a new boat to try to set a new speed record :Sailrocket
The following are his words:
Naturally I have been following the kite surfers latest outright world speed sailing record attempt with great interest. Yesterday they really stamped their dominance on the sport by breaking the record by the biggest single margin in the sports history.
54.1 knots is pretty impressive as it not only jumps through 60 mph but also over 100kph… so that’s all the closest big round numbers dealt with then!
Our genuine congratulations go to Alex for being rewarded for the effort he has put in. I think you also have to respect the effort put in by the team behind the event who have continued to optimise the course and seen the results improve with each iteration.
Whether you think a kite is a proper boat or not is a contentious issue. I don’t think it is a boat in any form… but it is definitely a contender for the outright world speed sailing record and I don’t even mind the ditch they are running down. Sure, it’s not for the purists but as long as it is unaffected wind and water… then it’s in in my books.
So how do these speeds affect us? Well they vindicate our decision to park the old boat and build a new one. I’m pretty sure that the speeds are also out of practical reach of all the other boats we have seen to date. Part of the reason I say this is because I think that the kites still have a few knots up their belt. They are not subject to the same issues of ventilation and cavitation that windsurfers and boats are, well not to the same degree anyway, and with a few readily available tools they can make an ideal course. That’s a big part of the equation.
So is this it for the boats? Definitely not, but we are coming to the end of an era that requires something new.
The beauty of this sport is that it is unique in sailing for bringing the diverse fraternities together and putting them head to head at their absolute limits. You have wind-surfers, kite-surfers, foilers and ‘boaters’ all going balls out for the perfect run. Everyone has their ideas, beliefs and favourites, they pick their sides and this makes it interesting.
It’s great that these guys are out there going for it. Since we started our program 9 years ago, the record has been gradually raised by over 16% by all manner of craft. It’s been a bloody active period that has seen some great action. Everyone has had their ups and downs.
Our new boat is coming along nicely but the launch is often where the real work begins. I’m still convinced that we have made the right choices. I’m also nervous/excited about the unknown elements that come from pushing new limits. The speeds are starting to get dangerous now. I don’t know what a bad crash would look like in the Trench in Luderitz. Well, you make your own choices and no-one is forcing you down there. What a blast it must be to commit yourself 100% to go down that ditch. It’s the sailing equivalent of the barrell of a gun.
No use saying ‘be safe’. That would involve not participating in that event with that objective. All you can say is ‘I hope you’ve done your homework’!
Alex obviously had. He’s got the A+ and smiley face to prove it.
Great stuff and well done. I continue to watch and dream of the next time I get to commit.
More from us in a bit.
Cheers, Paul.