This news went up on the Luderitz-speed.com site last night... and forecasts are only middling for the next week, so it's unlikely we'll get the crazy winds we had yesterday and Friday. I recon it's game over for other speed sailing craft -- kites are just too fast, they've smoked windsurfers and yachts out the water!
snip....
Yesterday the Lüderitz Speed Challenge saw
Sebastien Cattelan of France become the first human being to sail at more than
50 knots (93kph) – a world record he held for only 24 hours before compatriot
Alexandre Caizergues snatched it away with not one but three runs over 50 knots
– reaching a top speed of 50.57 knots (93.65kph).
- Alexandre Caizergues (France) – new outright
world speed sailing record of 50.57 knots
(F-One, Ouest Provence,
Volkswagen Utilitaires, ION, Placide)
- New outright Netherlands speed sailing
record: Rolf van der Vlugt 45.99 knots (Airush, Mystic, Protest, TUDelft,
X-tremeboards)
- New outright UK speed sailing record:
David Williams 44.78 knots
(Best Kiteboarding, Dead Man clothing,
KMS)
- New outright France women’s speed
sailing record: Charlotte Consorti 43.53 knots (F-One, Nike, Maui Magic,
Baracuda, Weleda)
- New outright Slovenia speed sailing
record: Jernej Privsek 41.97 knots
(Jägermeister, Cocta, Kitesfera,
Garmin)
- New outright Belgium speed sailing
record: Christian Baret 40.87 knots
(Summerwood
Guesthouse)
- New outright Netherlands women’s speed
sailing record: Katja Roose 37.18 knots (Protest, Maui Magic,
Airush)
- New UK women’s kitesurf record: Jemma
Grobbelaar 35.61 knots (Flexifoil, Xelerator, Dakine, Arnette, Derevko, Cti,
Lizzy, Island Tribe)
These speeds are verified, but are still subject to
ratification by the WSSRC.