For those interested, the Speedsailing Circus has started up at Walvis Bay, Namibia again. Not catsailing related, but here`s the link :
http://www.speedweek.co.za/

So far the best wind has been just on 20knots, the minimum to open the course. Finian, Bjorn and a few others have run the course at 36-37 knots, not bad for "light wind" speedsailing.. The kitesurfers are not too far behind either.
Hopefully the wind kicks in and some records start falling (Sjouke Brednekamp has already broken the African Women`s Kite record.) [img]http://www.speedweek.co.za/2006/19.10/pages/PICT3798.html[/img]

36.85 knots to beat, thats the fastest speed obtained at the UK event, Weymouth speedweek. And its a kitesurfer not a windsurfer.

http://www.speedsailing.com/results_2006_overall.htm

The fastest boat this year was Basilica the Volvo extreme 40' cat clocked at 27.24kn


Now where can i get a rudder like that ?


Gareth

Weren't these boats claimed to race at 35 knots a little while ago ?

I think we have no found the definate answer to end the discussion on that.

Wouter

Here: http://www.marstrom.com/

/Martin

So, I'm assuming that Basilica went 27 on a reach, based on the picture.

Wouter, dont you think that they could beat that with the kite up, on a hot downwind angle?

I'm guessing they could do 35 with the kite up based on doing 27 on a reach.

Bill

41,88knots in 25knot winds.
Women`s world kitesurfing record broken.
Some cool pics : www.speedsailing.co.za


Finally Walvis Bay starts to deliver !
In around 25 knots of wind one round was completed today, with Finian Maynard (BVI, F2) snatching the victory with a top speed of 41.88 knots ahead of Patrik Diethelm (ITA, F2, North) and Bjorn Dunkerbeck (AND, T1, North).

The ladies leg was won in close racing by Karin Jaggi (SUI, F2, North) in front of Valerie Ghibaudo (FRA, T1) and Zara Davis (GBR, T1).

Minos Efstathiadis (Exocet) set a new Greek record with a speed of 37.21 knots, subject to WSSRC ratification. Beside that, during the competition a new womens kitespeed world record was set by Sjouke Bredenkamp (RSA) with a speed of 37.24 knots, also subject to WSSRC ratification.

no.

Has to do with angles of attack at which the sails need to operate. It sounds contradictionary but the furher away you are from a beam reach the more the angle of attack decreases at which the sails need to operate. This is also true for downwind legs. At the boat speeds we are talking about, angle of attack issues are significant and most probably the single biggest limiting factor in achieving higher speeds.

Envision it this way. You can't fly the spinnaker on the upwind legs BECAUSE of the angle of attack being to small on these courses. The soft sail won't keep its shape. Similar things also happen to jib and even mainsails although the mainsail can operate at the smallest angle of attacks of all three sails. Typically around 20-25 degrees.

Wouter

Any pics of the kitesailors..

Hi Frozen,
check out www.speedsailing.co.za

lots of pics, and if you scroll down to the bottom of their homepage, a link to cool video footage from a previous event, with some interesting wipeouts in ankle-deep water.

Have to agree with Wouter, we seem to THINK spinnakers have made beachcats faster. What we forget is that it may make their VMG from A to C mark faster, but that`s because it keeps the apparent wind well forward even when reaching deep downwind angles, something not possible without the spinnaker, so instead of gybing 45 degree angles downwind and covering more distance in the process, we can sail straight to C mark with maybe a short gybe or two, reducing the distance covered substantially, so we appear faster downwind. But a boat without spinnaker reaching the old way gybing on 90deg laylines might actually be sailing faster, he just has to sail further..
Since beam-reaching up and down does nothing to assist your progress from A to C mark, very few of us do much of it, but I`d bet it is faster than a spinnaker ride on many boats. (And the pitchpoles are way more spectacular !)

Oops, wrong link - look up speedweek.co.za for the pics.
The other site works, but is a different one..