stop it just simply shattering. I made sure it stayed clear of
my shoulders so I wouldn’t break a collar bone if we landed
inverted. I didn’t want to be strapped into the cockpit.
A couple of test runs were carried out. We decided to put
some effort into breaking the nautical mile record as the
average speed needed is only 43.09 knots. In order to have
any realistic shot at the Outright record 0f 50.57 knots, we
need to have some very specific conditions. In theory, the
lower average required for the mile should be more forgiving.
Over at ‘Speed-spot’, the beach we have is exactly 1.04
miles long so to do a mile course I need to enter and leave
the beach at speed. This leads to complicated and lengthy
start up and stop procedures where I have to do both on
distant beaches. The whole process takes twice as long as
a normal run. Since we are using the mighty TRIMBLE 5700
GPS system for timing, if we do have a smoking run, we
can also take the best 500 meter time out of the mile for any
other records.
View down the hull of VestasSailrocket showing clearly the
curved foil with three anti ventilation fences on it. The 'Roll-bar'
can be seen in upper right.
The fateful run on Friday 13th
standards as you need to ramp up all aspects of the project
Our first good shot at the mile went very well. It was an easy
in order to get the most out of the period. This includes
run (41.09 knots) and we finished within a few hundredths
the quality of the team, spares, timing equipment and the
of a knot of the course record which Dunkerbeck set here
resource to support a ‘fix it, courier it, make it NOW’ attitude.
a few years earlier. The only craft to beat that since has
been Hydroptere who currently holds the record. This was a
For me, assembling VESTAS SAILROCKET is a pretty
good sign and the record seemed imminent if given the right
personal experience. We have been through a hell of a lot
conditions. The next opportunity came... as luck would have
together and there is always the promise that the best is still
it... on Friday the 13th!
to come. She sure ain’t no teenager anymore but structurally
she is sound as a pound. All the scratches and repairs make
Not one for any form of superstition, I went for it without
very little difference to overall performance and each one tells
hesitation. It was an overcast day and I remember the strong
a story from further back down the road. She has proven to
sulphur smell from the salt farm as I surfed down the second
us that she is worth the effort.
lagoon towards the start of the course. A couple of world-
cruising French families had brought their tenders over to
It was pretty obvious that the seasonal weather was unusual.
watch. Nick Bubb was driving our RIB and was positioned
There was a lot of rain inland and not much wind on the
on the start of the course to mark the shallows. It was pretty
coast. I slipped back into a simple diet to save some weight
windy and I was set for a big run. VESTAS SAILROCKET was
and the new team members became acquainted with the
trying to rise onto the plane even whilst sailing with the wing
‘waiting game’. We used the time to make some safety mods
fully eased and stalled dead down wind. As soon as I turned
to the boat and just go over the details. After the ‘flip’ we
her onto the course and the wing got a sniff of attached flow
had discussed fitting a type of ‘roll-bar’ to the cockpit area
over both surfaces... she bolted. I focused on setting her up
to stop the beam from swinging into the cockpit should we
on a straight course and getting the wing in to the required
take off and roll beam down to leeward. It was getting hard
10 degree angle. I knew it was fast by the aggressive start-
to predict exactly what shape the next crash might take... as
up. The wing was in at ten and the next thing was to sheet
we were about to see. The roll-bar was fitted on the beam
on the flap for the final kick-up-the-butt. I sensed an old
side of the cockpit complete with a steel-rod up the side to
enemy when VESTAS SAILROCKET swung into the beach.
36  MULTIHULL REVIEW : JUNE 2009
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