Fastest Sailboat on the Planet!

no
I wont rend you for the hard realities
but I would still love to see it
I think they're conditions would be similar
steady strong wind
calm sea
not the most likely combination but bound to happen eventually
and c mon
these are real boats
or at lease real wind powered H2O supported vehicles
ones flying
the others dragging
neither is actually doing much boating
I did really like the ground effect advantage Hydropter got with the wing like outriggers
nice touch guys

I say we be real nice to two clearly talented teams
down a cold one
and await the blessed event
B

 

You hit the nail on the head there. I too would love to see the race. You have my vote on that; but not my belief that it will ever happen.

 

I like the idea of the race if it could be done.

If such a race were to be sponsored and held, there would have to be rules. The sponsor or race committee (sorry!) would have to publish location, time, distance, direction (absolute or relative to the wind), minimum depth of water, standing or flying start or time over course, conditions under which the race would proceed and arrangements for alternative times or venues.

Questions, always questions. Would this be a one-on-one race? One kiter and one foiler? Which ones? What about other types? Would that be meaningless parochialism? Should it be open to other classes of sailing craft, boards, kiters, foilers, mono- and multi-hulls?

The largest craft would have to be downwind from the rest and spacing would have to be adequate for both safety and to ensure fair winds for all. Other than that, size should have no meaning. I think since this a straight-line speed prize that each craft would have to sail a straight line within a lane; that will help eliminate the influence of tactics.

If there were to be multiple entries to ensure fair conditions for all competitors there would have to be a limit on the number because conditions are not going to be consistent for ever. So now you are into eliminator events for each type with one of each in the final, and one eliminator would have to be truly open for any kind of craft not fitting the rules for the various types. At least for a sprint event the course length is not excessive.

It would seem to me the best option would be a flying start, max half-a-dozen entries, stay in your lane, time over course to determine winner, don't start before time X and finish before time Y, maybe Y - X = 1 hour to ensure consistent conditions, you start when you are ready.

I don't see any other way to eliminate the complaints, "he cut off my wind/he crossed my path/our big boat can't accelerate as quick as that damned guy on a plank, she got lucky/unlucky with the squall" etc. etc.

I don't think it will happen. Pity.

 

The greatest race since the Aussies beat the Americans for the America's cup

one man
powered only by the wind
balanced on a sliver of dreams

tied to a kite and hanging on for his life
has attained the mythical 50+ knots

the other a team of men
also risking there lives in a super yacht like no other
flying across the waves on wings of carbon
and dreams of steal
chasing a demon down under


two teams with intentions of greatness
both going faster than anyone else, ever before,
powered only by the wind and both able to reach the mythical 50 knot barrier
who, by some lucky stroke of chance, are with us at the same moment in history
and not just any moment
but one of those moments history dreams of
when men of greatness grace us with there accomplishments and were it not for the existence of the other stand alone on the podium of success
I say history is calling them
I am reminded of a moment in the 1980 winter olympics when a few college kids with used equipment from every corner of the united states went head to head with the Russian national hockey team
and won
or that famous moment when Ali fought Frazer in the Gardens,
or again against Forman in Manila

its a moment like the French 1998 world cup victory over Brazil
or Jesse Owens in Berlin
these are events we remember today, for a reason
it was greatness
I can imagine that moment when the write brothers feet first left the ground
or the moment by a bridge in old Concord square, 
when in an instant, a shot
was heard around the world
and those moments are remembered
they took courage
Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron
are legends

I see a race in the future 
and a historic event in the making
its the kind of history great stories are written of
but its not pride 

no
its more than that
its a need to know
its a nagging flaw in an otherwise perfect feet of greatness well earned by each man now come head to head for the race of the century

I say we have two famous contenders in the same place, with the same dream, at the same time
one of histories rare gifts
Sea biscuit and War Admiral alive again
both with a dream we’ve all had
but unlike most of us
these men have realized there dreams with great accomplishments
only to then have those accomplishments questioned buy committees and callous remark
to have rulings and limitations later created and raised in opposition to those great deeds buy some arbitrary few who cant
in front of those accomplished few who can and have
done what we all wish we could do
great things

I can hear the rushing of the wind in the rigging
and that most beautiful voice of history calling 

I find myself am compelled to ask
who are we to deny her


I say that to miss this moment
to not reach out and grab the opportunity to shake hands
to rise above the committees
the sanctions
and those small few who would consider there victories on the crutches of such petty and base excuses
I say to miss this moment would be a sad day best forgotten

I say two great men must go head to head
and see who can cover the distance first
one race
one shot
one single moment in time
however you want to measure it
or any distance you can agree
let those accomplished few decide
and let those many fans stand back and roar like Romans long ago

what say we leave behind those who cant
shake hands with those who do
and be the sportsman we all aspire to be
I ask you to step forward like gentlemen and hold the race of the century 

I hope those who read this and who’s task it will be to make this history
will consider this challenge and instead of asking themselves
why
ask yourselves
why not
this challenge
this moment
and this race
this is what makes history
and these moments are rare

 

Boston's right; bugger the rules, poetry rules. Let's get on with the race.

 

Another record:
Record: D class world record
Yacht: Hydroptere
Name: Alain Thebault and a crew of 10
Dates: 13th November 2008
Start time: 12:10:09.2
Finish time: 12:10:30.0
Elapsed time: 20.8 seconds
Distance: 502.25 metres metres
Current: 0.06 kts
Average speed corrected: 46.88 knots
Venue: Port St Louis, France

Previous record: 28th October 2008, Hydroptere, Alain Thebault FRA 46.15 kts

 

Outright record restored to Kiters

In a more than appropriate reversal of a previous opinion, the ISAF has once again recognized that the Outright Speed Sailing Record is to be held by French kiter, Alex Caizergues, who knocked-back a run of 50.57 knots this past fall along the coast of Namibia.

http://www.sailspeedrecords.com/content/view/102/3/

The WSSR Council Sunday 7th December 2008

We have been informed by the International Sailing Federation - ISAF - that they will support a decision by the WSSRC to ratify a claim for the Outright World Sailing Speed Record by a Kite-board.

In accordance with this, the WSSRC announces the ratification of a new World Record:

Record: Outright World Sailing Speed Record.
Board: Fone Prototype Speed. Fone Bandit Dos Speed 7sq m kite.
Name: Alexandre Caizergues. FRA
Dates: 4th October 2008.
Start time: 15:35:00.84
Finish time: 15:35:20.06
Elapsed time: 19.22
Distance: 501m
Current: 0.1kts
Average speed: 50.57kts
Venue: Luderitz, Namibia.

Previous record: 2008. Sebastien Cattelan. 50.26 kts

John Reed
Secretary to the WSSR Council

 

Hydroptere 61knots(70.15mph)

Don't know much more than in Erwans breaking news thread and there is a good thread on SA. The boat pitchpoled then capsized . Everyone has minor injuries. Go Hydroptere!

 

good to hear you guys are ok
and congrats on the speed
hows the boat

Ill try to find the SA site

 

Hydroptere 61knots(70.15mph)!

Video just before the crash and just after-they must be holding on to the "money shot"!
http://www.hydroptere.com/galerie_videos_hydroptere.php?id=624#centre

Thanks to Jeff for updating the title of the thread in honor of Hydroptere's incredible peak speed record!

 

Doug, since you are being so effusive about your wonder boat, perhaps you can share with us the name of the sanctioning body that manages the Peak Speed Records, how they are approved, etc. ...you know, the works as to the process regarding "peak speed records"

There is absolutely no indication at the WSSRC site that anything even close to peak speed data is kept as a record of any kind.

I'm looking for an official body of some sort and not the claims of the team, or any individual associated with the team, even peripherally.

 

I'm sure that we all, or most of us anyway, are excited by the achievement which, even if peak speed is not a recognized record, nonetheless is an indication of the potential of this fantastic craft. You hit the nail on the head Chris, this is a wonderboat. I join the rest of you in hoping that the boat can be salvaged and repaired soon so this team can go on to greater things. It truly shows that the limit for sailboats hs not yet been reached.

 

hear hear

 

Chris, mon ami, you're being a surly pedant again.

 

On the pedant scale of 1-10 it's probably hovering somewhere in the 2 region, as things go. If, however, we look at the claims of unkept and unverified records, we see a 9 on the hyperbole scale.

You can decide for yourselves which one is worse.

The truly funny part about all this is that the kiters have already hit peak speeds much higher than that being "claimed" by some on this thread. With that in mind, it makes the current hype look to be more about "me too", than it does about substance. This is especially true when one simply looks at the existing records, which are held and critically verified in a rigorous process.

Gary, since you are a foiling guy, perhaps you could share with me the value of a claimed peak speed when the crew winds-up examining the bottom of the bay?

I'll save the broader discussion as to the value of what is being termed, pedantic, for a later date. Trust me on this... all of us are pedants if we are moving through our individual experiences with even the slightest bit of, "Hmmmm, I wonder about that..." One musn't upset the comfy sphere of conventional wisdom BS out there, must one?

Maybe some of you have been called a time waster, or a trouble maker by the officials when you had the audacity to appear at a city council meeting and ask the tough questions that were being swept under the rug? Yes, that questioner is pedantic as viewed by the city officials and should be proud of it.