It’s
no longer a question of if, but when. The 50
knot barrier (say it again, fifty freakin’ knots)
is going down. I don’t know about you,
but this is the kind of sh*t that is one of
the many reasons I love sailing. The fastest
I’ve every sailed is 36 knots (aboard
PlayStation), and the noise, power, and pure
rush of that sensation is simply unforgettable.
I can’t even begin to imagine what 50
knots would feel like, and will probably never
know.But at least I can watch the quest for
50 (averaged over 500 meters); see the WSSRC speed
record page here.Iit’s pretty damn
suspenseful to see lots of contenders duking
it out - it’s time to start laying bets,
and here is my list, going most likely to least
likely:
Hydroptere Hydroptere Just
hit 47.2 (see
video here ). A little tuning, the right conditions,
and….voila!
I
love this guy. He’s Irish, he’s got
the French Trench, and right now he’s The
King at 48.7 knots. Watch his initial 46.82 knot
record run here...
Macquarie
Innovation MI
is an alien beast, and it has self-destructed
more than once. But they have a record-winning
team, and posted a run of 45.16 knots last fall
in just 18 knots of breeze. Keep your eye on
them (and pray their technical team learns how
to post video sometime this century)…
Hydroplaneur It’s
hard not to root for ET Yves Parlier, who briefly
held the solo 24 hour record with this sailing
seaplane. He’s got a way to go before he
is pushing 50, but the man is determined. Click
here to watch a Quicktime movie of Hydroplaneur
in the 2004 Transat, making Nick Moloney on Skandia
wonder whether he should give up monohull sailing.
Want more? Here
Sailrocket Paul
Larsen’s backyard boat just doesn’t
look the part. And so far she’s pig
slow (on a good day we’re talking 30-plus
knots). But I wouldn’t hold my breath…You
can watch some videos
here.
So
there you have it. Settle in for 50-plus and
start wondering just how fast a sailboat can
go. And before some kitesurfing weenie complains
that the kitesurfers are knocking on 50 (which
they are, see
here ), let me just go on record as saying
skimming along in two inches of water on a soup
plate sounds like a ton of fun. But it’s
just not sailing. It’s not…
