Speed sailing record

l'Hydroptère, the previous nautical mile record holder

Speed sailing records are sanctioned, since 1972, by the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC). Records are measured either by average speed over a specified distance or by total distance traveled during a specified time interval. The three most sought after records are the:

500 metre records

Date Craft Skipper Location Speed (knots) Speed (km/h) Speed (mph) Comment
24 November 2012 Vestas Sailrocket 2 Paul Larsen AUS Walvis Bay, NAM 65.45[1]121.175.2
18 November 2012Vestas Sailrocket 2 Paul Larsen AUSWalvis Bay, NAM59.23[3]109.6968.1
28 October 2010 Kitesurf Robert Douglas USALüderitz, NAM55.65103.06 64.0
28 October 2010 Kitesurf Sebastien Cattelan FRALüderitz, NAM55.49102.76 63.814 minutes before Robert Douglas' record. Homologated by the WSSRC.
12 October 2010 Kitesurf Alexandre Caizergues FRALüderitz, NAM54.10100.1962.3First record above 100 km/h
4 September 2009l'Hydroptère - hydrofoil trimaranAlain Thébault FRA Hyères FRA 51.3695.1159.1Nautical mile record broken on the same run. An instantaneous maximum speed of 55 knots was recorded.
2008 Kitesurf Alexandre Caizergues FRALüderitz, NAM50.5793.6558.2
2008 Kitesurf Sebastien Cattelan FRALuderitz, NAM50.2693.0857.8First record above 50 knots
2008 Kitesurf Robert Douglas USALuderitz, NAM49.8492.3057.4
2008 WindsurfAntoine Albeau FRAStes.Maries, FRA49.0990.9156.5
2005 Windsurf Finian Maynard IRLStes.Maries, FRA48.7090.1956.0
2004 Windsurf Finian Maynard IRLStes.Maries, FRA46.8286.7153.9
1993 Yellow Pages Endeavour - proaSimon McKeon AUSSandy Point, AUS46.5286.1553.5
1991 Windsurf Thierry Bielak FRAStes.Maries, FRA44.6682.7151.4
1990 Windsurf Pascal Maka FRAStes.Maries, FRA43.0679.7449.5
1988 Windsurf Erik Beale GBRStes.Maries, FRA40.4874.9646.6
1986 Windsurf Pascal Maka FRASotavento, SP38.8671.9644.7
1980 Crossbow II catamaranTim Colman GBRPortland, UK36.0066.6741.4
1977 Crossbow II catamaranTim Colman GBRPortland, UK34.4063.7039.6
1977 Crossbow II catamaranTim Colman GBRPortland, UK33.8062.5938.9
1975 Crossbow II catamaranTim Colman GBRPortland, UK31.8058.8936.6
1975 Crossbow proaTim Colman GBRPortland, UK31.1057.5935.8
1973 Crossbow proaTim Colman GBRPortland, UK29.3054.2633.7
1972 Crossbow proaTim Colman GBRPortland, UK26.3048.7030.3

Class records

Last updated: 19 November 2012.

Category Date Craft Skipper Location Speed (knots) Speed (km/h)
D Class (Over 300 ft²) 4 September 2009 l'Hydroptère Alain Thébault FRA Hyères FRA 51.36 95.11
C Class (Up to 300 ft² (27.88 m²)) 2009 Macquarie Innovation Simon McKeon AUS Sandy Point, AUS 50.07 92.72
B Class (Up to 235 ft² (21.84 m²)) 2012 Vestas Sailrocket Paul Larsen AUS Walvis Bay, NAM 65.45[1] 121.1
A Class (Up to 150 ft² (13.93 m²)) 1992 Longshot Russel Long USA Tarifa, SP 43.55 80.65
10 m² (Up to 10 m²) 2008 Windsurfer Antoine Albeau FRA Stes.Maries, FRA 49.09 90.91
Kite Sailing 2010 Kitesurfer Robert Douglas USA Lüderitz, NAM 55.65 103.06

Nautical mile records

Date Craft Skipper Location Speed (knots) Speed (km/h)
18 November 2012 Vestas Sailrocket 2 Paul Larsen AUS Walvis Bay, NAM 55.32[2] 102.45
8 November 2009 l'Hydroptère Alain Thébault FRA Hyères FRA 50.17 92.91 .[4]
4 September 2009 l'Hydroptère Alain Thébault FRA Hyères FRA 48.72 90.23 500 metre record broken on the same run.
Oct 2008 l'Hydroptère Alain Thébault FRA Port Saint-Louis FRA 43.09 79.80
April 2007 l'Hydroptère Alain Thébault FRA Baie de Quiberon FRA 41.69 77.21
October 2006 Windsurfer Bjorn Dunkerbeck ND Walvis bay, Namibia 41.14 76.19
October 2005 Windsurfer Finian Maynard IRL Walvis bay, Namibia 39.97 74.02
November 2004 Windsurfer Bjorn Dunkerbeck ND Port Saint-Louis FRA 34.44 63.78
July 2003 Windsurfer Bjorn Dunkerbeck ND Aringa, Grand Canaria 33.96 62.89

24 hour distance record

Distance Yacht Skipper Crew Date Competition Average speed
436 nmi (807 km; 502 mi)[5] United Kingdom Lightning James Nolan "Bully" Forbes 1 March 1854 18.16 knots (33.63 km/h; 20.90 mph)
465 nmi (861 km; 535 mi) United States Champion of the Seas Alexander Newlands 11 December 1854 19.375 knots (35.883 km/h; 22.296 mph)
512 nmi (948 km; 589 mi) Canada Formule Tag Michael Birch 1984 21.33 knots (39.50 km/h; 24.55 mph)
517 nmi (957 km; 595 mi) France Fleury Michon VIII Philippe Poupon 1987 21.54 knots (39.89 km/h; 24.79 mph)
522.73 nmi (968.10 km; 601.55 mi) France Jet Services V Serge Madec 1990 21.85 knots (40.47 km/h; 25.14 mph)
524.63 nmi (971.61 km; 603.73 mi) France Lyonnaise des eaux Olivier de Kersauson 1994 21.91 knots (40.58 km/h; 25.21 mph)
540 nmi (1,000 km; 620 mi) France Primagaz Laurent Bourgnon 1994 22.50 knots (41.67 km/h; 25.89 mph)
547.3 nmi (1,013.6 km; 629.8 mi) France Explorer Bruno Peyron 1994 22.80 knots (42.23 km/h; 26.24 mph)
590.23 nmi (1,093.11 km; 679.22 mi) United States PlayStation Steve Fossett 1999 24.59 knots (45.54 km/h; 28.30 mph)
625.7 nmi (1,158.8 km; 720.0 mi) France Club Med Bruno Peyron & Grant Dalton 14 11 November 2000 26.07 knots (48.28 km/h; 30.00 mph)
629.5 nmi (1,165.8 km; 724.4 mi) France Innovation Explorer Loick Peyron 13 2001 The Race 26.23 knots (48.58 km/h; 30.18 mph)
655.2 nmi (1,213.4 km; 754.0 mi) France Club Med Grant Dalton 2001 27.30 knots (50.56 km/h; 31.42 mph)
687.17 nmi (1,272.64 km; 790.78 mi) United States PlayStation Steve Fossett 2001 28.63 knots (53.02 km/h; 32.95 mph)
694.78 nmi (1,286.73 km; 799.54 mi) United Kingdom Maiden II Adrienne Cahalan, Helena Darvelid & Brian Thompson 2002 28.95 knots (53.62 km/h; 33.32 mph)
706.2 nmi (1,307.9 km; 812.7 mi) France Orange II Bruno Peyron 2004 29.43 knots (54.50 km/h; 33.87 mph)
766.8 nmi (1,420.1 km; 882.4 mi) France Orange II Bruno Peyron 3 July 2006 31.95 knots (59.17 km/h; 36.77 mph)
794 nmi (1,470 km; 914 mi) France Groupama 3 Franck Cammas 10 20 July 2007 33.08 knots (61.26 km/h; 38.07 mph)
907.9 nmi (1,681.4 km; 1,044.8 mi)[6] France Banque Populaire V Pascal Bidégorry 11 August 2009 37.83 knots (70.06 km/h; 43.53 mph)

Note that the nineteenth century records are not strictly compatible as they measure a "Day's run" which was measured noon to noon regardless of longitude. The two entries above were both eastbound and therefore less than 24 hours.

Instantaneous speed record

The idea of an instantaneous speed record is not officially sanctioned by the WSSRC and is, therefore, not officially measured or documented. The highest speed ever reported is from the crew of Vestas Sailrocket 2 : on 24 November 2012 they recorded a top speed of 67.74 knots in a 27-29 knots wind. [7]

Previously, the highest speed ever reported was from the crew of l'Hydroptère. During an attempt on 21 December 2008 at Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône, they recorded a top speed of approximately 61 knots during a 45 knot gust of wind. This heavy gust of wind overpowered the sailboat, causing it to capsize at high speed. The crew sustained only minor injuries.[8]

Sovereign of the Seas, 1852, 258 ft, the fastest and longest ship yet built when she was launched in New York, designed and built by Donald Mackay, America's foremost clipper designer. On her maiden voyage, she sailed New York to San Francisco in 103 days. This ship achieved the fastest ever recorded speed of a sailing vessel (22 knots).

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Vestas Sailrocket 2 Outright Sailing Speed Record". WSSRC. 04/12/12. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Vestas Sailrocket. Outright and NM.". WSSRC. 2 December 2012.
  3. "Vestas Sailrocket 2 Outright Sailing Speed Record". WSSR Council. 27/11/12. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. "50 noeuds sur le mille !" sur le site Hydroptere.com
  5. Lubbock, Basil (1921), The Colonial Clippers, Glasgow, James Brown, p. 62
  6. "WSSRC Records - 24 Hour Distance".
  7. Paul Larsen (28 November 2012). "BLOWN AWAY... THE 65 KNOT+ RUN (WITH VIDEO)". Vestas Sailrocket.
  8. 61 knots for l'Hydroptère

See also

External links and references