Fastest Sailboat on the Planet!

Yes it's 52.86 knots top speed, NOT average over 500 metres

- clearly this is VERY impressive. They've gained roughly 5 knots top speed, and cleared 50 by a margin. Should all else be equal (and all else isn't) then this might allow for 49-50 knots over 500 metres, i.e. not enough anymore for overall speed record. They might probably need 53-54 knots top speed for that.
- BUT, it does NOT constitute a record over 500m. Alain Thébault comments (on the site, and in the press) that the wind was a bit too irregular (gusts up to 40 knots, and less in-between), and also that the wave regime was such that they couldn't use the flatter waters along the Napoleon Beach
- Alain also comments however that they're still learning at stabilising the craft at speed, and until recently when they peaked a little over 46 knots I must admit I was getting nervous, but now that they've achieved 52.86 top speed, this is sounding much more credible. Apparently in a couple press interviews he sounded disappointed that they hadn't been able to maintain the speed, disappointed as in "we know it's there too bad the conditions weren't perfect", not disappointed as in "oh well apparently the craft doesn't have it in her". He's also stated that he still has the rest of the month to get this stabilised, which I guess sounds optimistic (but the mistral cannot be controlled obviously)
- for those of us using the metric system (which is most of the world by the way ;-), the next magic number is going to be just just under 54 knots which is 100 km/h. I bet the engineers and the team of Hydroptere would just LOVE to have an officially recording even just top speed, of 100 km/h.

 

Hydroptere 52 knots!

Thanks, Antoine!
From the Daily Sail:

"On Saturday with the wind gusting to 40 knots, L'Hydroptere became the first sail boat to record speeds in excess of 50 knots. Analysis of the data recorded on Saturday showed their top speed peaked on their third run at an incredible 52.86 knots.

"It is the first time a sailing boat has crossed the wind barrier that is 50 knots," commented Alain Thebault. "Now all we have to do is stabilise this speed over 500m.""

 

the video does indeed suggest solid potential

I watched the video they just posted, and listened to their verbal communication.

The images suggest a still very stable boat, with the crew focusing 100pc on speed and no one looking the least bit worried. This leaves me hoping that more is possible (more than 52.86 knots top speed).

The verbal communication is all about speed, and about wind, and about how "it's softer here, it's softer there", and at no point is there anything like "hey gotta slow down we're losing stability". So again, this leaves me hoping that they can go faster given stronger and especially more regular winds, as the modified foils and rudder foil do indeed seem to retain lift and stability at much higher speeds (kudoos to the engineers who seem to have done their job well).

 

Hydroptere 52 knots!

Yeaterday, October 30,2008 Hydroptere set a(as yet unratified) world speed record increasing the speed for the mile from 41.69 knots to 43.09 knots !
Congratulations!

 

A record, to be sure

Let's see here... Doug writes 28 words and in that brief passage, manages to use three exclamation marks.

Currently unratified!!!

 

Hydroptere 52 knots!

According to the Daily Sail Hydroptere set TWO records in the presence of
WSSRC measurer Christophe Simian: 42.98 knots over one nautical mile and 46.3 over 500 meters!
Oh, and !!!!!!

 

Oh! That's! Just! Fabulous!

Lesser records because the BIG ONE! got away from them!

Here's what I'm looking forward to from the Hydrop team....

They go after the Atlantic Crossing from NY to Lizard Head so that they can demolish the speed set by Coville. When the boat is up to that kind of all day/all night pounding at the speed necessary to take the record, you'll have something to crow about. Even then, it will be done by a crewed vessel and won't really be of the same caliber.

Perhaps a solo skippered effort from Hydrop could be suggested by you Doug?

 

hydroptere speed

hey Chris,
You churlish fellow - near 43 knots average over a mile - mate, that is impressive in anyone's book.

 

Dead right. Wish I could do that on my bike!

 

Yes..... I guess I do sound kinda churlish, there, don't I? ;-)

Of course it's fast. It's just that the boys in France appear to have had a bit of the breeze let out of their sails after getting a gander at the Kiters and their numbers. (especially those high mark momentary figures that have been put up by the kites for consideration)

I do suppose that the Hydrop has a big number in her somewhere. But, it does puzzle me me that they've sort of abandoned the 500 meter outright record attempts in favor of these now, lesser rmarks, by comparison.

Wasn't that what all this money spent was about anyway... the outright speed record for a wind powered craft?

I'm sure that the H fans will jump in here and get on me about my opinion, but hey.... the Big Ol' Golden Trophy has been hauled off already and there's little that can be done about it. Some will spew and foam and try like they can to open the discussion as to kiting being illegitimate, but the argument has long ago been put away by the WSSRC Council. Since they determine the records and just what person and/or craft hold them, it's over.

To extend the conversation, many folks here abouts were all hot and heavy about the fact that Hydrop was an ocean-going boat that could churn these kinds of numbers out on the big blue. Personally, I like the boat, but I think the boat is far too delicate to do that for any length of time. Either it will break from the pounding, or something in the water will shut the whole thing down in an instant. This kind of boat is just too vulnerable.

I refer you to the RTW attempt by Cammas' Groupama team which ended rather abruptly when an ama broke in half and tossed the very fast machine over on her back. The lifting foil on that side of the boat had been hit by something earlier in the run and then, BAM! away goes the connective tissue right in front of the foil trunk. The incident saddened me, but it demonstrates just how tender some of these elements can be and how exposed they are to damage.

Perhaps we all saw the damage to Coville's Sodeb'O when he cracked into who knows what, near the tip of Africa? A fairly good sized section of the starboard ama was just torn off and had to be replaced in Capetown. Now just imagine what would have happened to Hydrop in the same situation? I shudder to think.

In support of this argument is the very large fact that both Joyon and Coville have chosen to omit lifting foils from their boats for these very dangerous record attempts. Either boat could be fitted, to be sure, but neither guy has opted for the things that come with it. Pure speed is not the only thing that makes for a successful boat.

I'm sure that in the future, one of these two guys will probably shoot for some record with lifting ama foils, but it isn't Joyon in his attempt on the Route of Discovery at present and it will not be Coville, who is standing-by in La Trinite for a proper weather window on a fresh RTW attempt.

 

implosions

Fair enough commentary, Chris, BUT ...... if perchance a kite board was sailing at 43 knots and hit something in the shallows ???? - or Sodebo without foils (actually I don't think the two Irens tris could reach and sustain such a speed) hitting a basking whale at 43 knots .... equally kabooma - or a V70, impossibly surfing at 43 knots for a mile, hitting a log .... definite exploding/imploding carbon noises along with canting keel fluttering into the spreaders - what I'm saying is anything maintaining a steady 43 knots and hitting something ..... all design types, no matter how well they are constructed, suddenly become craft of extreme fragility.

 

I totally agree with you, Gary. There comes a time in the search for speed when the danger exceeds the value of the velocity.

Coville told me about that phenomenon when he was driving Sodeb'O in the mid 30's for an extended period. He found himself surfing down a fairly large swell and the instruments banged out a 41 knot figure which brought his attention to full alert mode. He said that he did not enjoy the experience of that much speed at sea because of all the connected hazards and potential ugly outcomes.

The point regarding extended, open ocean speed runs for Hydrop, was more about the fragility of the design compared to all the other boats which do this kind of blue water racing. It has to do with the principal elements of the design which allow it to attain those speeds and the exposure that those elements have to damage potential.

Coville's boat was still sailable, even with a portion of the bow shredded off the starboard ama. Watertight bulkheads allowed him to sail the boat back to Capetown for repairs and still make fairly decent time. I dare say that if Hydrop had hit the same, whatever it was in the water, that the damage would be a lot more serious to the overall functioning of the boat, putting the crew in serious straights immediately. It's at that point of reality that the absolute potential for speed moves past the point of a real benefit.... for me anyway.

Hauling butt in the Southern Ocean would chill my head plenty enough as it is. I don't think I'd like the psychological aspects of being on a boat with a higher degree of vulnerability. I admire the guys who do it and marvel at the special way that their heads are wired to be able to pull it off on a regular basis.

Maybe this is my age and experience talking, here. I used to do a lot of high altitude rock climbing and ski mountaineering when I was younger. I've managed to put myself in some very tenuous situations, some purposely and some simply due to the conditions present. At the time, I thought I had it all handled and functionally, I found a place in my head to put the fear so it would not overwhelm my consciousness. Over time, that place has moved it's location much closer to the front of my day-to-day thinking and I'm a whole lot less inclined to risk heavily in order to get the drug of high danger sports.

I will tell you that my wife is grateful that this transition has taken place and nowadays I want, more than ever, to create a space of safety for her. So, perhaps all these realities for me are what shape my opinions regarding the push for speed and danger with boats. I'll have to think on that.

 

============================
These records have been ratified! Congratulations to Team Hydroptere!

 

Yes, yes, fast as a D Class boat can apparently go. In fact, I'll even say, and I quote Gary B here, "that is impressive in anyone's book".

Still, my compadre... it's a very, very, long way to the fifty mark and even more to the top speed of Caizergues' 50.57 knots.

Money and time... money and time.

 

guys it's always the same themes, so let's not feed the troll ;-)

what matters is that people out there want to design, and sail, things that go as fast as possible, is all. The best proof is that it's not rare to see a team mention another team's (or individual's) recent success on their web site. So it looks like if there camps be, these camps are only on the side if some people posting on blogs, but not on the side of people who go fast on water, aided by the sole power of the wind.

Also, it gets a bit repetitive when some individuals write the same sentences, on the same themese, and most always in a negative manner, again, and again, and again. Give us a break!

Take care