Gales warnings - yum!

Sailboarders head for the 'trench' awaiting a real chance to break the 50 knot barrier

While any self-respecting citizen will have hung up their seaboots for the winter now, quite the opposite viewpoint is taken by a group of record touting sailboarders down at the famous Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer trench in the Camargue region of the south of France.

The Masters of Speed is one of the most unusual events. Lasting from mid-November through until 10 April, there is lots of sitting around drinking cappucino waiting for the next gale to arrive. Well despite the event having only just started, the cappucinos will have to wait as a gale is just about to arrive at the trench and with it one of the best shots to break the 50 knot barrer.

Among the competitors in Masters of Speed is Finian Maynard, who is the present outright World Sailing Speed record holder, having managed 48.70 knots on 10 April this year.

"My motivation for this new session is to reach 50 knots," says Maynard. "We feel that the channel at Saintes-Marie-de-la-Mer can provide us with good conditions for success in achieving this goal. The whole team is very focused this year. We are looking for a strong southeast wind or a 'marine' wind. This kind of situation can lead to top results. We hope that Eole will be with us. "

Aside from Maynard, the windsurfers present are Patrik Diethelm, Karin Yaggi, Antoine Albeau, David Garrel, Henrik Klagges, Andrea Baldani, Farrel O'Shea, Valerie Ghibaudo, Henrik Klagges, Finian Maynard, Thomas Gaudiot

According to Pascal Maka, a former world speed record holder himself and coordinator of the Masters of Speed, conditions today and Wednesday are looking good with the wind expected to blow at 40 knots from the southeast.

Maka gives his comments on the Masters of Speed -

What are the differences between the equipment now and the past?

"The designs of the new masts and new techniques to increase performance using materials like prepreg carbon fibre fabrics. The new materials used for the sails provide more tension on the surface of fabrics and allow better control of shape. The profile of the sails is more regular and accurate and provides better performance at both low and high speeds. The shorter boards today can sail flatter while using the full power of sails. The boards are more stable, the fins have thinner profiles, materials used in the moulds enable designers to control the stiffness, twist and thickness. Designers are also using more efficient section shapes. Fins have a much wide useable range, and their main quality is that they don't stall so easily, which is very important at high speed."

What is a perfect day at the trench?

The wind from the southeast would be ideal to break the 50 knot record. For me it ensures you can sail on a small surface only on the last few centimeters from the rear of the board.

What does the 50 knot barrier mean to you?

The 50 knot barrier is a dream in the minds of sailors, be it skippers of trimarans or speed sailors. I have heard about this mythical barrier since 1982. Looking back, it reminds me how hard it was to break the 30 knots, then there was the barrier of 40 knots, but 50 knots has always been a magical barrier, and to do it in the presence of the WSSRC would be enormous. If we all have a gale from the southeast this winter, it would reward our efforts.

Masters of Speed stats:

48.70 knots: World speed sailing record, set on April 10, 2005 by Finian Maynard
over 500 meters on the Saintes - Maries de la Mer trench
41.25 knots: Female world record speed st by Swiss sailor Karin Yaggi on 10 April
46.82 knots: the record of Maynard in the autumn of 2004, breaking the record of the last 'boat' to hold the record, Yellow Pages

See our 2004 interview with Finian Maynard here