Sébastien SALERNO speaks about the Luderitz Speed Channel
A video From Eric Bellande
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.
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:
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
Orange Speed Crossing Pro: Interim Results
Here are the interim results after the first 3 races of the OSC.
Overall standings after 3 races – Men
Overall standings after 3 races – women
Vas y Sophie!!! **** the team is cheering you on ****
Could Seb be back in the race?
On Tuesday, the organizer of the Mondial decided to make use of the light 20.25 knots of south east wind and put on the “Funny Race”. The Long Distance Race is an 8 km and back to the start. From the start, the windsurfers took the lead with Antoine Albeau and Cédric Bordes. The strong south east choppy conditions are not favorable to kite surfers.
Antoine Albeau crosses the finish line first leaving a gap between him, Ross Williams and Cédric Bordes
SEB CATTELAN with the Genetrix Origin and Xelerator board (photo Tisag)
Sébastien Cattelan takes the lead and is the first kitesurfer to cross the finish line in front of Rob Douglass and Sylvain Hoceini. He was riding a 12m Genetrix and the Xelerator 198×40 board.
Until now, Seb had not been able to compete due to his missing boards. We are glad to see him back in despite an injury to his ankle.
You can find out more re the board he is using here: http://www.xeleratorkiteboarding.com/
The strong Tramontane is announced again for tomorrow with a skipper’s meet at 8:00 am.
Alex Caizergues et Geoffrey Mascarel are out!
During the second heat, two of the top kite surfers got injured. Alex Caizergues injured his right knee and Geoffrey Mascarel his wrist! Rob Douglas is the only kitesurfer left facing the top windsurfers.
For now, no news re Seb Cattelan …
Orange Speed Crossing 3rd Heat
Today, the best times had been recorded in the early part of the day due to a declining Tramontane as the day wore on. 4 windsurfers finished in the top five but Rob took the lead again with the fastest time over 42 knots. In the absence of Alex Caizergues it was Geoffrey Mascarell who was the second kiter to finish.
Orange Speed Crossing 2nd Heat
Rob Douglas (42.5) winner of the second heat of the Orange Speed Crossing in front of Antoine Albeau (41.5)
We are sorry to hear that Sebastian Cattelan wasn’t able to take part in the last 2 races. “My racing gear is somewhere on an airport carousel between Maui airport and South Africa. I was able to borrow some equipment left and right, but it is not easy without my personal settings. Plus I’m cold, so for now I stay on the beach (smile).”
Alex Caizergues also had no chance today. He fell hard in the second inning and had to be evacuated by firefighters, having apparently suffered a knee sprain. He was in fourth place in this heat! This might compromise his season.
Charlotte Consorti consistently finished in the first half every time at the scratch, leaving behind about thirty men!
Anders Bringdal, who won the first round is 7th in this second round and falls back overall.
Heat 2 results:
1 Rob Douglas Kite
2 Antoine Albeau Wind
3 Cedric Bordes Wind
4 Alex Caizergues Kite
5 Geoffrey Kite Mascarell
Le mondial du vent 2012
Leucate, France will host the Mondial du Vent from April 7th to 15th 2012. The worldwide event was created in 1996. 16 years later, Leucate is still the first kitesurf and windsurf meeting in France and one of the most important international events in these disciplines.
see more here: http://www.mondial-du-vent.com/home.php
ORANGE SPEED CROSSING Pro: 7 to 12 April
For the fourth consecutive year, the Mondial du Vent et Orange have organized the Orange Speed Crossing in Leucate from 7 to 15 April for the 16th edition of the Mondial du Vent. A unique opportunity to watch the world’s best athletes of kiteboarding and windsurfing go head to head on speed runs.
A total of 30 professional athletes including kitesurfer Rob Douglas (world speed record holder), Alexandre Caizergues (3 times world speed holder), Sebastien Cattelan (50 and 55 knot recordbreaker) and windsurfers Antoine Albeau (speed and slalom windsurfer world champion) and Anders Bringdal, will participate in this unique event. Charlotte Consorti and Sophie Routaboul will also compete to see who is the fastest woman on the water.
In 2011, kitesurfers proved to be fastest. Will the windsurfers take the speed record back this year?
As of now, here is the list of the riders in the Orange Speed Crossing.
10 riders will compete using Genetrix kites
| Kitesurf | Windsurf |
|---|---|
1- Anthony CHAFFRON ![]() 2- Wolfram REINERS ![]() 3- Alex CAIZERGUES ![]() 4- Rob DOUGLAS ![]() 5- Geoffrey MASCAREL ![]() 6- Jamie DOUGLAS ![]() 7- Morgan DOUGLAS ![]() 8- Manu TAUB ![]() 9- Damien LEROY ![]() 10- Brock CALLEN ![]() 11- Sébastien CATTELAN ![]() 12- Chris HARDUIN ![]() 13- Christophe PRIN-GUENON ![]() 14- Jean-Charles PAUPARDIN ![]() 15- Maxime RICHARD ![]() 16- Bill LYNCH ![]() 17- Sylvain HOCEINI ![]() 18- Florent GAUTIER ![]() 19- Romain RENAUD ![]() 20- Emmanuel MOGICATO ![]() 21- Sylvain MORET ![]() 22- Charlotte CONSORTI ![]() 23- Sophie ROUTABOUL ![]() 24- Julien TAUB ![]() 25- Jean-Yves TERRIEN ![]() 26- Bruno DANDINE ![]() 27- Jernej PRIVSEK ![]() |
1- Thomas GAUDIOT ![]() 2- Nick VARDALACHOS ![]() 3- Gauthier BOURGEOIS ![]() 4- Antoine ALBEAU ![]() 5- Cyril MOUSSILMANI ![]() 6- Benoit MOUSSILMANI ![]() 7- Sylvain MOUSSILMANI ![]() 8- Anders BRINGDAL ![]() 9- Olivier BERNARD ![]() 10- Cédric BORDES ![]() 11- Andrea BALDINI ![]() 12- Christophe RICHAUD ![]() 13- Xavier JOLY ![]() 14- Pascal BOULANGER ![]() 15- Cyril MICHEL ![]() 16- Christophe FIORENTINI ![]() 17- Gilles PAREDES ![]() 18- Valérie GHIBAUDO ![]() 19- Karin YAGGI ![]() 20- Romain DONADA ![]() 21- Alain MONTAUZOU ![]() 22- Damien NICO ![]() 23- Jacques VAN DER HOUT ![]() |
Construction of the canal and speed run video. Luderitz 2011.
Here is a video of the construction of the new canal and of some the top speed tests recorded last month in Lüderitz to polish the speed run for the Lüderitz Speed Challenge 2012.
Source : Lüderitz Speed Challenge/Adrien Freville
Taro Niehaus’ 51.64 knot speed run video
Taro Niehaus breaking the African Speed Record on November 10 2011
Sebastien Cattelan improved to 52.6
Stefan Metzger set a new Namibian record of 51.36 knots which equals Hydroptere’s record, Anthony Chaffron improved to 42.92 despite being injured, and Humberto Torrinha improved the Angola record to 41.21.
Anders Bringdal had yet another 50 peak (50.1) and improved his Swedish record to 47.44 knots. This should land him first place on the windsurfing GPS rankings.
Congratulations Lüderitz Speed Challenge 2011
13 November 2011:
Mother nature had the final say today, and it only blew 30 knots with occasional gusts. Seb clocked the best speed of the day with 51.36 knots. He was the only contender over 50 knots.
Congratulations to Anders Bringdal (50.72 Vmax) and Taro Niehaus (51.64 knots) for their performance record, and to Seb, Sophie and the rest of the team and sponsors for making this event possible.
Sébastien is confident he can reach 60 knots in kitesurfing, and is making it his goal. Windsurfing speeds currently trail that of kitesurfing, but Sebastian has made it his first priority to create optimal conditions in the canal for the windsurfers to push the limits.
Positive energy is needed to manage this adventure, and an interesting challenge lies ahead for us to discover how best to achieve this. We need to share ideas and opinions with people who have different experience with the sea so we can collaboratively create the ideal run.
The new canal has proved to be more beneficial for windsurfers than for kitesurfers thus far, but some options still remain to improve this for both disciplines.
Although the organizers treated this year as a test for the new canal (which was dug just before the start), the results look very promising and windsurfing legend, Anders Bringdal, managed to reach truly impressive speeds on his first day. He had a 50.72 Vmax, which is a first in windsurfing history.
Kite surfing records and performances will follow – step by step the dream of this Team has been realized over the past 5 years, and the much improved run in the ideal location will usher in a new era in speed sailing and become the perfect platform for international and outright records.
Sponsors who choose to be part of this will play a pivotal role in shaping sailing history.
Source:
http://www.speedkiting.org
http://www.luderitz-speed.com
New from Luderitz
The Hydra and Luderitz
23 October 2011
Today was a light wind day (in the 20′s) and marked the start of a new wind cycle. It was a great introduction for the riders to the new canal. The finishing area is wide and long, and instills the confidence needed to cross the finish at full speed. The depth is more than adequate, and we’ll test out windsurfers on it within a few days time.
The wind was very gusty today, and the Genetrix kites helped prevent unnecessary accidents due to unforeseen gusts and lulls mid-run. They handle gusts like no other and have the biggest depower range, which makes them ideal for Luderitz.
The best average speed was 45 knots, with peaks just less than 50 knots. The wind is expected to blow stronger tomorrow, so let’s see what speeds the new canal can yield.
“What I found is there seems to be a lot more wind towards the end of the run, but time will tell when it blows stronger. Getting back to the start was done by either beating back upwind in the lagoon and walking the rest of the way, or catching a lift on the back of a bakkie. The timing system worked flawlessly, so we’re all set for the big day to see what speeds are possible”.
Source: Basil Cambanis www.speedkiting.org
www.luderitz-speed.com
Luderitz 2011 Kitecam
Another one from Basil but this time the view is from the kite. He does get pretty close to the bank at one stage. Probably looking up at the cam
“I stuck my camera onto one of the struts today to get an areal view of the canal. It’s alignment was slightly off, but not bad considering. The wind was a mild 20 knots at the time and I used my 12 sqm v4 Genetrix Hydra kite. As you can tell from the footage, the water state is excellent. We’re waiting until next week when stronger wind is forecast, then things will get interesting.”
Two separate speed events attempt breaking 55.65 kts record
Here is a video from Basil Cambanis. Take a ride with him on his Genetrix Hydra down the speed run in Luderitz, Namibia. The new canal has been built in the salt pan a few hundred meters upwind of Second Lagoon. It looks impressive, and with the longer run-up and finish it’s bound to be faster.
At the same time, there is a speed event organized by The North American Speed Sailing Project (NASSP). SOME of the Fastest Sailors are competing for the $27000 prize at Martha’s Vineyard in October 2011.
It will be interesting to see who will break the 55.65 kts over 500m set by Rob Douglas in Luderitz in 2010.
NASSP———————————————————-or the Luderitz Speed Challenge ???
One of them looks like a holiday and the other like suicide. Good luck to all and be safe!
THE LUDERITZ SPEED CHALLENGE 2011
The World Record Attempt in Speed Sailing
Namibia: October 20th – November 17th 2011
The “Lüderitz Speed Challenge” has been held in Namibia since 2007, and is a World Record Attempt in Speed Sailing that has produced more than 40 World & National Records to date.
The organisers, Sophie Routaboul and Sébastien Cattelan have constantly innovated in their attempt to push the limits, and have recently obtained authorisation to dig a new channel away from the Second Lagoon shoreline, which has been used thus far. This is necessary to make it possible to break the 60 knot barrier (over 500m), which is the new challenge (115km/h under sail). Last year, the famous hydrofoil boat “L’Hydroptère” held the Outright Record with 51.36 knots (95km/h over 500m), but was beaten during “The 2010 Lüderitz Speed Challenge” by the kitesurfers who established the World Record in Speed Sailing with 55.65 knots (64/mph, 103km/h over 500m).
This has been a large scale and difficult project to undertake, which made these two driven extreme sports enthusiasts decide to officially test the newly built channel before taking on the responsibility of organising a fully-fledged event. A full scale event is planned for 2012 where numerous international competitors will be invited.
As the stakes increase and the speeds achieved are pushed higher, the organisation of each event has become more challenging in itself.
The consequences of this recognised official record attempt are far reaching. This event combines an environmental aspect together with the efficiency of wind power, and the human, tourism and commercial aspects, while bringing to the front stage an African country: Namibia. This is where kitesurfing (while still in its infancy), has been propelled into the headlines as being the world’s fastest craft on water.
Will this incredible and daring feat allow them to beckon in the dawn of a new playground for the windsurfing community, and give them access to the exclusive 50+ knot club? The results speak for themselves: over the past four years everything possible has been done to increase the potential of this unbelievable site, which has made the constant climb of speed sailing records possible.
The answer will be revealed between 20th October and 17th November 2011, which are the dates of the event during which windsurfing and kitesurfing performances will be done…. with the kind support of the sponsors : LM Wind Power, Genetrix and its team, SunPass Cream, The agency Chaffron Insurance, Kitaddict and the Lüderitz Community.
GENETRIX at the Mondial du Vent 2011
From the 23rd of April to the 1st of May, Genetrix will attend the Mondial du Vent in la Franqui, one of the windiest spots in the south of France. Windsurfers go head to head against kitesurfers during the Orange Speed crossing, starting tomorrow 26 Apr - 1 May.
For the first time, 60 competitors (32 pros and 28 amateurs) will compete to see who is fastest on the water.
The 55 knot speed record-breaking champion Sebastien Cattelan (France) will be competing against the other giants in the sport like Rob Douglas (USA), current world record speed holder, and Alex Caizergues (France).
At present, the list of competitors is as follows:
| Kitesurf | Windsurf |
|---|---|
1- Alex CAIZERGUES ![]() 2- Sébastien CATTELAN ![]() 3- Sylvain HOCEINI ![]() 4- Sylvain MAURIN ![]() 5- Geoffrey MASCAREL ![]() 6- Manu TAUB ![]() 7- Julien TAUB ![]() 8- Bruno DANDINE ![]() 9- Christophe PRIN-GUENON ![]() 10- Marc-Olivier MARTIN ![]() 11- Rob DOUGLAS ![]() 12- Morgan DOUGLAS ![]() 13- Jamie DOUGLAS ![]() 14- Damien LEROY ![]() 15- Sébastien SALERNO ![]() 16- Sjoukje BREDENKAMPF ![]() 17- Charlotte CONSORTI ![]() 18- Sophie ROUTABOUL ![]() 19- Antony CHAFFRON ![]() 20- Nicolas ALLIBERT ![]() 21- Marc-Antoine MARIN ![]() 22- Florent GAUTIER ![]() 23- Maxime RICHARD ![]() 24- Benoit JOUFFRET ![]() 25- Bill LYNCH ![]() 26- Rémy JANISSET ![]() 27- Alex ROBIN ![]() |
1- Antoine ALBEAU ![]() 2- Cyril MOUSSILMANI ![]() 3- Anders BRINGDAL ![]() 4- Sylvain MOUSSILMANI ![]() 5- Benoit MOUSSILMANI ![]() 6- Bieuzy MAUFFREY ![]() 7- David GARREL ![]() 8- Pascal BOULANGER ![]() 9- Pierre MORETTI ![]() 10- Andrea BALDINI ![]() 11- Marion RAISI ![]() 12- Gilles PAREDES VINUALES ![]() 13- Thomas GAUDIOT ![]() 14- Christophe RICHAUD ![]() 15- Fabien COURTIADE ![]() 16- Wilfried VANHERWEGHE ![]() 17- Alain MONTAUZOU ![]() 18- Sébastien BONHOMME ALLAIRE ![]() 19- Xavier JOLY ![]() 20- Jean-Charles MAES ![]() 21- Miguel AGERKOP ![]() 22- Gauthier BOURGEOIS ![]() 23- Christophe FIORENTINI ![]() 24- Eric CARRIERE ![]() 25- Olivier BERNARD ![]() 26- Cyril MICHEL ![]() 27- Pascal TOSELLI ![]() |
Luderitz, Seb, and their stories
Here is the complete video on France 3
Or you can view the different parts of the documentary here:
Thalassa documentary part one
Here is the first part of the documentary of the Luderitz Speed Challenge 2010 in Namibia which will be aired on Friday the 18th of March on Thalassa France3.
Genetrix on Thalassa French TV 18th March @ 8:35pm
For those who are interested, Genetrix will be featured in the Thalassa TV documentary to be shown on Friday 18th of March 2011, starting at 8:35 pm Paris time on the French TV channel “France 3″. This documentary was filmed during the Ludertitz Speed Challenge in Namibia last October 2010.
La date de diffusion du sujet Thalassa que nous avons tourné en Namibie à l’occasion du Luderitz Speed Challenge sera diffuse le 18 Mars 2011 sur Thalassa France 3 A partir de 20h35
Seb Cattelan – First to 55 knots
On 28 of October, Sebastien Cattelan was the first person to reach a speed of over 55 knots average over 500m with a Genetrix Hydra 9 meter kite and an Xcelerator board.








































