Yellow Pages' record falls

Finard Maynard betters ultimate record for speed under sail

With a Mistral blowing across the Saint Maries trench in the Camargue region of the South of France, so today Irish sailboarder Finian Maynard broke the 11 year old record for the ultimate speed under sail.

Maynard today managed to average 46.82 knots over the 500m course, beating the previous record of 46.52 knots set by the Australian C-Class speed sailor Yellow Pages in October 1993.

"Incredible, super, brilliant," Maynard shouted after his record breaking run. "Today it's come good after all the training I have done."

Former record holder Pascal Maka, who oversees speed sailing on the French trench was equally ecstatic. "I'm elated, " he said. "This morning, I felt the record might come. Hats off to Finian!!"

Speed under sailboard has come a long way since Maka set his record of 38.86 knots in 1986. Since then Eric Beale in 1988 took the record up to 40.48 knots and Thierry Bielak to 44.66 knots in 1991, then up to 45.34 knots two years later. But in 1993 the outright speed record over the 500m course returned to a sail boat in the form of Yellow Pages. The Australian team are still attempting to better their time, and in particular to take the record over 50 knots, but without success so far.

Maynard's time has yet to be ratified by the World Sailing Speed Record Council who's observer Michel Rousselet was present today.