Broken Record

On Dcember 3rd British team Vestas Sailrocket piloted by Australian Paul Larsen has become the worlds fastest sailing ‘boat’ by sailing at an average speed over the 500 meter record course of 47.4 knots.

Following the sucessful run the team set out to gain the outright record for a sailing craft, it was on this attempt that the boat took off resulting in both the boat and helm, Paul Larsen flying 30 feet in te air, upside down; skiff sailors eat your heart out.

Pilot Paul Larsen - “Conditions were perfect and I was hungry to begin the record haul. After seven years of testing and refining this wonderful concept craft, I calmly felt that if it was going to happen... it would be today. VESTAS SAILROCKET flew down the course in perfect control. I sat at about 90-5% power and concentrated on sailing a good straight course close to the beach where the flat water was. I knew it was fast but was pretty surprised at the end at how fast it was... especially as I knew there was more to come. Malcolm’s design had performed just as he predicted. Of course I was pretty happy but the possibility of breaking the outright record was right before us so we turned the boat around and headed back up the magic mile for another crack at the record. At that stage I was unaware that we had punched a big hole through 50 knots. I didn't want to just rattle the oppositions cage... I wanted to crush it”

On the second run Larsen sheeted the solid wing in hard to get full power. Vestas Sailrocket accelerated like never before pulling 0.35 G’s up to a speed of 52 knots before taking off from the water like an airplane at the end of the runway.

Larsen - “As soon as the whole nose lifted I thought ‘oh s**t... we had discussed the possibility of this and here we are’. The nose just kept coming up and I was pure and simply flying. No noise, no spray... she just kept going up until I was vertical. I waited for an impact but there was none. When she went fully inverted and there was still no impact I knew I was a long way up...at least the height of the rig. At this stage I thought ‘when she hits upside down... get out as soon as you can’. She slammed down hard and despite a few bruises and a smashed helmet... I was out of that cockpit in a flash. It was pretty gutting but then it comes with the turf. We are sailing prototype craft to new extremes here."

The team will gather round and we will be back in action as soon as possible. I have no doubt that with a few tweaks to the geometry are predicted to absolutely smashed the outright.

The team anounced today that both the boat and crew are rpairable and should be out on the water by December 20th and are hoping to smash the record by Chistmas.