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Catch me if you can!
Paul Larsen and his team “Sail Rocket” have shattered the 60 knots (65.45 knots over 500m or 121 km/h) in Walvis Bay in Namibia. This is a real technological feat and the result of years of hard work. Congratulations to him and his team.
The team is currently in Walvis Bay, Namibia and the least we can say is that there is now a huge gap between the record holder and the runner up (55.65 kts held by the kiteboader Rob Douglas).
The 500m record:
1 – 2012 – Paul Larsen (sailrocket) – 65.45 kts World Record Speed Sailing
2 – 2010 – Rob DOUGLAS (kiteboarding) – 55.65 kts Kitesurf World Record
3 – 2010 – Sébastien CATTELAN (kiteboarding) – 55.49 kts
4 – Alexander Caizergues (kiteboarding) – 54.93 kts
5 – Sébastien SALERNO (kiteboarding) – 54.28 kts
6 – Sylvain Hoceini (kiteboarding) – 52.90
7 – Antoine Albeau (windsurfing) – 52.05 kts Windsurf World Record
etc …
Windsurfers break the 50 knot barrier!
THE 50 KNOT BARRIER IN WINDSURFING IS BROKEN!
After the previous days promising results, everyone felt that breaking the 50 knot barrier was a done deal.
On the 4th race day, this never-before-broken barrier was smashed! Records kept tumbling almost with every run this afternoon. Some of the speeds still need to be confirmed by the Time Keeper.
First, the Swedish Record Holder Anders Bringdal broke the 50 knot barrier twice, with 50.41 and then 50.46 knots improving the world Record on Production Board as well!
After that Antoine Albeau surpassed Anders’ performance with 50.62 knots recovering his position of World Record holder in Windsurfing, which was also shortly held by Cédric Bordes in the afternoon with 49.66 knots.
Zara Davis has also improved her World Record in Windsurfing with 44.92 knots and also Lena improved her Turkish Record with 43.81.
The record on Tandem has been also broken (1 board / 2 sails / 2 riders) with 38.12 knots!
And lots of other National Records were smashed!
Mark Grinnell from South Africa and Matthias Röttcher from Namibia were successively improving their national records which they had already broken earlier during the day.
Mark: 46.49 kts and Matthias: 46.69 kts.
Jurjen Van Der Noord, the Dutch competitor who has just made his first runs today broke the Dutch Record with 47.53 kts.
Patrick Diethelm has improved his Swiss Record and is the 3rd time in the Windsurfing world as well with 49.71 knot!
Nick Vardalachos from Greece and the British Farrell O’Shea improved their record.
Nick: 48.84 kts and Farrell: 48.21 kts.
Christian Benzing who was battling with his German fellow countrymen, broke the German Record in Windsurfing with 45.57 knots.
This incredible day has now gone into the windsurfing history books.The world’s windsurfing community was waiting for a “come back” in Speed Sailing. The goal of the 2012 “Lüderitz Speed Challenge” was to work on that point and offer the best conditions to finally break this mythical barrier. We can expect even better results during the coming days.
Windsurfing World Record Attempt: More Records!
Windsurfing World Record Attempt: Day 3
Even though the forecast has announced only moderate wind, riders were really motivated to hit the gust again today!
The atmosphere was unusually peaceful – this group of competitors is really enjoying the conditions and the event, without hesitating to put their hands into the sand to help achieve the common objective: break records.
The current speed windsurfing Namibian record holder Matthias Röttcher watched the event in the media and decided to take his 4×4 across the desert to join us early this morning and take the chance to claim a new record! After testing the channel he improved his existing record of 41.44 kts to 42.32 kts.
Windsurfers from all over the world are following the event and are starting to realize that the Luderitz Speed Challenge is one of the biggest opportunities for them to be in the speed sailing limelight together with boats & kitesurfers.
The international support to riders and organisers is unbelievable. Encouragement from all corners of the world is streaming in.
On day 3, Zara was again the 1st to jump into the water, and it is paying off: thanks to her we open the race every day by celebrating a new record, and thereafter it does not stop!
Antoine Albeau was leading the day with 48.57 kts but Anders Bringdal went further with 48.60 kts, improving the World Windsurfing Record on production board, and claiming the new Swedish Record.
Dieter Gerichhausen again beat the German record in Windsurfing with 44.01 kts, but – like yesterday – was followed by Christian Bornemann who was faster still, ending with a new German record with 44.41 kts.
Their German team mate Christian Benzing went faster in less wind today and come closer with 42.81kts!
Patrick Diethelm went faster in less wind with 46.55kts, improving his Swiss Record from yesterday.
Lena improved her Turkish record with 42.6 kts.
Cédric Bordes managed to reach the 3rd best speed of the day with 47.83 kts.
Windsurfing World Record Attempt 2012: World Records broken !!
During the 2012 “Lüderitz Speed Challenge” 16 different nationalities will come together over 6 weeks.
This week France, Germany, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Turkey and Sweden have sent their representatives.
The first 2 days of this Windsurfing World Record Attempt have already created a communication buzz all over the world!
Antoine Albeau, who is currently – and has been for 20 times in the past – the World Champion in Slalom held the previous World Windsurfing Record of 49.09 kts (2008), has just broken it again today with 49.41 kts!
The fact that this close-to-50-knots record was set in only 38 knots of wind, makes us all see the possibilities of the next days with more serious wind conditions!
The Swedish legend Anders Bringdal, who lead the 1st day, broke the World Record in Windsurfing on Production board twice on day two – and he improved his national Record to 48.38 knots!
The Female World Record in Windsurfing was broken twice by Zara Davis who obviously enjoys the news concept and the new “Lüderitz Speed Challenge” channel! With 44.19 knots she is also the fastest Female British sailor.
Lena Aylin Erdil has also learnt how to go fast in a few runs, breaking the Female Turkish Record several times during the past two days, reaching 41.53 knots.
Farrel O’Shea has expertly defended his colours by beating the UK Record twice, ending with 46.15 knots!
Patrick Diethelm who holds the Italian Record is a double Record Holder. Sailing under the flag of Switzerland this year, he broke the Swiss Record with 46.29 knots.
The French rider Cédric Bordes managed to sail the exact time of the previous Windsurfing Record showing 49.09 knots!
The German competitors are on track and produced excellent times, alternating the record position among them. Christian Bornemann broke the German record in windsurfing twice during the past two days, and he currently holds it at 43.93 knots while Dieter Gerichhausen reached 42.92 knots, holding this record for a time during the day. Christian Benzing from “Chris Benz watches” reached a personal best with 40.33 knots, not far behind his fellow countrymen.
The legendary Luderitz Speed channel
The new Luderitz Channel where the 2012 speed tentative will happen!
In 2010 the Luderitz Speed channel was dug adjacent to the water line, to the right of an area covered with vegetation. In 2012, it was moved inland and dug directly into the sandy soil so as to maximise the speed approach at the start. New speed records will surely fall.
Good luck to all competitors.
LUDERITZ 2012
The “Lüderitz Speed Challenge” 2012 is officially opened.
The ceremony gathered the members of the Town Council, the sponsors, the local committee, the inhabitants of Lüderitz, and the riders.
In a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, windsurfers attended the very first briefing.
On Monday, the Windsurfers went through their mental and physical preparation to become familiar with the canal !
With the arrival of Antoine Albeau, Alberto Possati and Cédric Bordes, the team is being assembled for the first week of the “Lüderitz Speed Challenge” 2012.
Full of Energy, The Windsurfing team is headed up by Anders BRINGDAL, who is spokesman for the group, which is promising. There is a feeling of “Unity and strength”…
Here is a list of riders:
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The fastest event – the fastest spot – the fastest riders
The Lüderitz Speed Challenge 2012
Since 2007, records were smashed successively, performances have increased, the « Lüderitz Speed Challenge », World record Attempt in Speed Sailing has become a major event with a media impact which has developed the “speed” discipline and has well participated to the kitesurfing industry evolution. Nevertheless, its organizors, Sébastien Cattelan and Sophie Routaboul have seen there the opportunity for the windsurfers to come back in front of the stage and find a location with the best conditions to express themselves. So, from 2009, after several tests, the report sets: the potential is there, let’s build a CANAL…
2010 EDITION set a new record and all the nations know that Lüderitz is the fastest spot in the World!.
THANKS TO THE NEW CANAL BUILT IN THE BAY, THE ULTIMATE RECORD IS SMASHED: 55.65 Knots.
Only two years after the 50 knots barrier was broken, the 55 Knots (103 km/h) barrier was smashed: 100km/h (54.10 knots) and “The Lüderitz Speed Challenge” have managed to get back the title from the multi-million boat “L’Hydroptère” (51.36 knots). Only 2 competitors in the world have reached the 55 knots so far:
Sébastien Cattelan (55.49 kts-European Record) and Rob Douglas (55.65 kts-Ultimate World Record)
2011 WAS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW AREA from an historical project:
Although the 2010 canal made the world of a difference, the conditions still need improvement for faster records to be set, especially to represent the windsurfing community which is huge in the World. Thus Sébastien Cattelan, Sophie Routaboul and his team have invested a lot of money and time to research the possibilities of widening and lengthening the canal, and creating even smoother water surfaces for faster speeds, deeper water but also improving the safety of the finish area.
After 1 year battling to set up the project and get the authorizations, they manage to dig that canal with the support of the Namibian Ministry of Environment & Tourism,according to what they have learnt from performances, tests and experiences they made during their career.
The legend Anders Bringdal took part of this new edition as a windsurfing consultant to be able to invite all the top sailors in the world.
SUCCESS: never before a windsurfer have reached a top speed of 50,7 knots (94 km/h).
0n 10 competitors of this testing-team, 5 records were broken.
The test of this Team is a revelation: this new canal which was improved step by step until the end of the 2011 event is THE solution and will be the playground of many competitors next year as they all have realized its potential.
LUDERITZ SPEED CHALLENGE 2012 PROJECT: Old records are no news, however… Chase the unimaginable 60 knots barrier now: The Lüderitz Speed Challenge has this as its main goal and sole focus.
No other event or place in the world would be more suitable to attempt this crazy record. Organizers have worked really hard to create the right environment conducive to making it happen. It’s the combination of all their experience from previous years and of course the location which gives them the criteria they need (strong and stable wind, good angle…) which will operate.
All the arrangements have been made to manage to create a canal with all the skills that windsurfers need to join kitesurfers (record: 55,65 knots) and boats (record: 51,36 knots) in that real challenge. After obtaining the authorizations, an artificial canal was dug 300m from the bay: 1 month of hard tests and researches, making improvements, were realized during the 2011 edition to be able to present the big 2012 Challenge which will be even more watched and followed in all over the world, where the best top sailors will battle for the World title or their nation.
The list of the selected competitors will be communicated in the beginning of July for an Attempt which will happen from the 5 November to 2 December for windsurfers (registrations number being more important) and from 3 to 16 December for kitesurfers, to avoid the comparison between 2 different crafts.
Luderitz Speed Challenge 2011 from ByAdrienFreville on Vimeo.
Source:www.luderitz-speed.com
Antoine takes it all
Photo credit: mondial du vent
80 kiters on the starting line for the Orange Speed Crossing Pro Am but Antoine Albeau remains the man to beat. He takes all four heats in front of Bordes, Bringdal and Douglas.
More tomorrow…
