Pic by Helena Darvelid/SailRocket
Pic by Helena Darvelid/SailRocket
unaware that we had punched a big hole
through 50 knots. I didn't want to just rattle
the opposition’s 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
Record Breaking and Boat
n the following run whilst on target for the Outright world record it
just kept coming up and I was pure and
O
literally took off and performed the full ‘Donald Campbell’ in equally
simply flying. No noise, no spray... she just
spectacular form flying over 30’ in the air upside down.
kept going up until I was vertical. I waited
Smashing Time for Hydrocoptere
for an impact but there was none. When
On the third of December in winds averaging only 22 knots, the super efficient, purpose
she went fully inverted and there was still no
built craft attained peak speeds of 52.26 knots during the run down the Walvis Bay
impact I knew I was a long way
up...at least
and SailRocket bidding to be the
speed-strip in Namibia. The speed is enough to give the team the ‘B’ class world record
the height of the rig. At this stage I thought
and Larsen the Australian National record. Most importantly to the team it gives them the
‘when she hits upside down... get out as
unofficial title of world’s fastest ‘boat’. This leaves only the windsurfers and kite boarders to
soon as you can’. She slammed down hard
fastest sailboat in the world
beat.
and despite a few bruises and a smashed
helmet... I was out of that cockpit in a flash.
Pilot Paul Larsen- “Conditions were perfect and I was hungry to begin the record haul.
It was pretty gutting but then it comes with
After seven years of testing and refining this wonderful concept craft, I calmly felt that if it
the turf. We are sailing prototype craft to
was going to happen... it would be today. VESTAS SAILROCKET flew down the course in
new extremes here. The team will gather
perfect control. I sat at about 90-5% power and concentrated on sailing a good straight
round and we will be back in action as
course close to the beach where the flat water was. I knew it was fast but was pretty
soon as possible. I have no doubt that with
surprised at the end at how fast it was... especially as I knew there was more to come.
a few tweaks to the geometry we could
Malcolm’s design had performed just as he predicted. Of course I was pretty happy but the
have absolutely smashed the outright and
possibility of breaking the outright record was right before us so we turned the boat around
nautical mile records (having done 1000
and headed back up the magic mile for another crack at the record. At that stage I was
meters at 46.4 knots). The dream is real!”
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JANUARY 2009 : MULTIHULL REVIEW 27
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