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Speed sailing record: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:46, 16 December 2014

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 (or "outright") record is held by Paul Larsen. On 24 November 2012 he sailed the Vestas Sailrocket 2 at 65.45 knots in Walvis Bay, Namibia.^[1]

500 metre records

Class records

Last updated: 19 November 2012.

Nautical mile records

24 hour distance record

Date	Distance	Average speed	Boat	Type	Skipper	Crew	notes
1 August 2009	908nmi	37.84kt	Banque Populaire V	131ft trimaran	Pascal Bidégorry	12	During successful attempt to break the record of the northern Atlantic.
20 July 2007	794nmi	33.08kt	Groupama 3	103ft trimaran	Franck Cammas	10	During successful attempt to break the record of the northern Atlantic.
3 July 2006	766.8nmi	31.95kt	Orange II	120ft catamaran	Bruno Peyron		During successful attempt to break the record of the northern Atlantic.
2004	706.2nmi	29.43kt	Orange II	120ft catamaran	Bruno Peyron
2002	694.78nmi	28.95kt	Maiden II	110ft catamaran	Adrienne Cahalan, Helena Darvelid & Brian Thompson
2001	687.17nmi	28.63kt	PlayStation	125ft catamaran	Steve Fossett
2001	655.2nmi	27.30kt	Club Med	110ft catamaran	Grant Dalton
2001	629.5nmi	26.23kt	Innovation Explorer	110ft catamaran	Loick Peyron	13	During The Race (event).
11 November 2000	625.7nmi	26.07kt	Club Med	110ft catamaran	Bruno Peyron & Grant Dalton	14	Qualification for The Race, crossing the northern Atlantic from east to west
1999	590.23nmi	24.59kt	PlayStation	105ft catamaran	Steve Fossett
1994	547.3nmi	22.80kt	Explorer	86ft catamaran	Bruno Peyron
1994	540nmi	22.50kt	Primagaz	60ft trimaran	Laurent Bourgnon
1994	524.63nmi	21.91kt	Lyonnaise des eaux	75ft trimaran	Olivier de Kersauson
1990	522.73nmi	21.85kt	Jet Services V	75ft catamaran	Serge Madec
1987	517nmi	21.54kt	Fleury Michon VIII	75ft trimaran	Philippe Poupon
1984	512nmi	21.33kt	Formule Tag	75ft trimaran	Michael Birch
11 December 1854	465nmi	19.375kt	Champion of the Seas	252ft clipper	Alexander Newlands		This record stood for nearly 130 years
1 March 1854	436nmi	18.16kt	Lightning	244ft clipper	James Nolan "Bully" Forbes[5]

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. ^[6]

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.^[7]

Notes

See also

• World Sailing Speed Record Council
• Speed sailing
• Transatlantic sailing record
• Day's run

External links and references

• records on 500m on the World Sailing Speed Record Council site
• records on 1 nautical mile on the World Sailing Speed Record Council site
• L'Hydroptère record at 51,36 knots, the 4th of september 2009, on Youtube
• L'Hydroptère site
• Vestas Sailrocket site
• Macquarie Innovation site
• Banque Populaire V site
• Crossbow I and II on the Dave Culp SpeedSailing site