World speed record falls

Just a hair away from 50 knots now...

Having recorded a run of 49.84 knots, American kiteboarder Rob Douglas has set a new absolute world speed sailing record over the 'standard' 500m course at the Luderitz Speed Challenge in Namibia. Frenchman Sebastien Cattelan managed 49.59 knots, the second best performance ever. With 25 days left in the competition it seems that speed sailing's 'sound barrier' of 50 knots falling is a case of 'when' not 'if'.

In setting his new time, 37 yeaer old Douglas smashed the previous record set by Antoine Albeau of 49.09 knots. He had already beaten his US record earlier in the week.
Sebastien Cattelan, from Toulouse, but now resident in South Africa and co-organiser of the Luderitz Speed Challenge with Fred Dasse, managed a run of 50.10 knots but this time was reduced by the World Sailing Speed Record Council observer.

Several other records have fallen today. Sjoukje Bredenkamp (ZA) improved her record with a best run of 45.20 knots, a new women's record over 500m. While David Williams and Jurgen Geiger respectively recorded 43.32 and 44.90 knot average speeds establishing new World Kite Surfing records for Great Britain and Namibia.

“I’m really stoked,” commented Sjoukje Bredenkamp. “I didn’t expect it to achieve it this early in the event. My goal was to break 45 knots, but to do it so early is absolutely insane. It just shows what can be done. I can’t wait to try and push it even further this afternoon.”

She has been doing a lot of preparation for this event with her dad, Hennie Bredenkamp, who also smashed the old 44.62 knot South African record which he set last year with a run of 47.59 knots. Hennie designs the boards, and then works with the 'Goose' - Angus Welch of Cape Doctor boards - to shape them. Fins come from Microfin in France.



They’ve made some changes over the last year to the board: “We have a new board with a different shape - more rocker, more flex, and also some other ideas we’ve been working on,” she says. She is also very happy with the kites: “The new (Naish) Helixes have a bit more bottom end grunt. I’m absolutely loving them. Dad and I have a similar board and kite set-up, and we both absolutely killed it yesterday, so we seem to have a winning recipe.”

Bredenkamp spent a lot of time training over the Cape Town winter with Hennie and Sebastien Catellan. “I spent a lot of time on the water doing winter speed sessions, getting my head right and my stance perfected. I stand more upright, but I can twist hips more than the guys to get the best position.”

She is currently in the Top 20 outright world record holders, both men and women, and looks like she has the potential to even move into the outright Top Ten, which now sits around the 46.5 knot threshold. Can she pull out another knot and a half? “I was planning on taking baby steps, but it looks like it’s going to be quantum leaps.”

Top performances of the day:
Day 4 - 19 Sept (WSSRC ratified)
Rob Douglas 49.84
Sebastian Cattelan 49.59
Alex Caizergues 48.69
Sjoukje Bredenkamp 45.20 (new women's record)
Hennie Bredenkamp 47.59 (new Africa record)
David Williams 43.32 (new UK record kite)
Jurgen Geiger 44.90 (new record Namibia)

Some figures:
49.84 knots Rob Douglas: new world record of absolute speed sailing about 500 meters
49.59 knots: the second best performance Sebastien Cattelan
49.09 knots: the world record of absolute speed sailing set by the windsurfer Antoine Albeau in March 2008 on the Canal des Saintes-Maries de la Mer
48.70 knots: the world record of absolute speed sailing made on 10 April 2005 by the windsurfer Finian Maynard on the Canal des Saintes
47.92 knots: World record Kitesurf in Luderitz Alexandre Caizergues 2007
46.82 knots: the record of Finian Maynard in Fall 2004, he put an end to the reign of the sailboat Yellow Pages
46.52 knots: the absolute speed record for sailing the boat Yellow Pages Endeavour made on 26 October 1993 at Sandy Point in Australia
1986: Pascal Maka is the first windsurfer to approve a new record with 38.86 knots.