trimaran speed record

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The Race to Break the Speed Record

• By Kimball Livingston
• Updated: October 26, 2021

If Alex Caizergues succeeds at breaking the speed sailing world record in 2022, it will be his third time around using a kite, but otherwise completely different from his first two records. Those marks—50.57 knots in 2008 and 54.10 in 2010—were set when foiling boards were continually upping the 500-meter mark, sometimes more than once a year. Caizergues’ 2010 run added 3 knots to what the famed trimaran L’Hydroptere had shown us only a year before. But all those efforts ran into cavitation trouble at about 52 knots, that point when flow over the foils boils into vapor—the point at which control vanishes. For his early records, Caizergues used a hydrofoil to lift him above the water. Now, with his Syroco team based in Marseille, France, he intends to use a hydrofoil to hold him down.

We’ll come back to that.

Nine years after Paul Larsen’s record run at 65.45 knots in Sailrocket , the French Syroco team has rivals in Switzerland following what they believe is a more conservative path. The École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne is a public research facility where the speed quest caught fire with student engineers and professors, including some who helped develop L’Hydroptere back in the day. SP80 is the team name, taken from the goal of achieving 80 knots, a goal shared with Syroco. They have a kissing-cousin relationship, competition aside.

SP80 envisions hitting 80 knots with a kite pulling a surface-skimming trimaran. A subsurface superventilating foil counters the lift of the kite, and a mechanical interface aligns the forces. Syroco’s purified vision aims to put a kite in the air connected by wires to a pod also in the air carrying two “pilots.” That pod will have a single, tiny-as-possible connection to a supercavitating subsurface foil holding it down. The concept strips the speed problem to its barest fundamentals, exponentially raising the complexity of execution.

Neither concept would pass as a boat in Blue Blazerville. Both owe their origins to Bernard Smith’s book, The 40-Knot Sailboat , published in 1963 . Smith proposed a balance of opposing forces to avoid the ultimate instability that eventually and inevitably develops as power is added, and any ordinary craft will capsize. Sailrocket showed the way and validated the theory—using a canted wing, countered by a superventilating foil in the water. On November 24, 2012, with sponsorship money down to nickels and the weather window closing, Larsen clocked his 65.45-knot run at Walvis Bay, Namibia. These days, Larsen says he appreciates the respect shown by the principals of SP80 and Syroco when they call themselves “children of Sailrocket .” But when we keep this Australian-born Briton talking, we get to the part where he’s saying how the machine was packed away in a container in Namibia after just a few days of finally showing its potential, and there’s still gas in the tank and…

There’s nothing shaking right now, but don’t dismiss the current record holder, 49 years after the catamaran Crossbow set the first official 500-meter record at 26.30 knots. For bonus points, do you know how 500 meters became a standard record distance?

The simple answer: In 1972, when Crossbow was first contending at Weymouth, UK, that length fit the venue. If someone manages 80 knots in 2022, they will cover 500 meters in 12.15 seconds, a football field every 2.5 seconds.

Later, while we’re ­talking records, we’ll update the renovation of L’Hydroptere . First, let’s get up to speed on the essential terms. Supercavitation refers to a regime in which a small, highly loaded, wedge-shaped (­triangular profile) foil builds a stable vapor pocket that bypasses the limits of ­cavitation. Superventilation refers to the principle employed by Sailrocket , with a foil that encouraged ambient air pressure to travel down the entire length and span of the foil.

The SP80 team puts it this way: “A triangular profile allows air from the atmosphere to dive into the extrados side caught by the depression, forming a stable air bubble that will prevent ­cavitation inception.”

Got it? Hey, they’re engineers.

Caizergues is aiming for more than a speed record with his Syroco concept. He knows from experience that when you succeed, you’re done and, “It’s an empty feeling.” This time, he’s ambitiously building a scientific and technical company around Syroco with the aim of reducing carbon emissions in the transportation and energy sectors. Co-founder Olivier Taillard, a Mini-Transat veteran, relates: “We founded the company in 2019 and built a team of 20. That includes three Ph.D.s in physics. To date, we have created 12 innovations, with three in the market. One is a software tool now in use to maximize ­efficiency in shipping routes.”

Other developments are aimed at keeping that critical hydrofoil just barely under the surface of the water, doing its supercavitating thing. Under the rules of the World Sailing Speed Record Council, only ­mechanical systems are allowed. It can’t be computerized or fly-by-wire. To a pointed question about systems, Caizergues responds with a laugh and a cagey hint: “Because of the wire, we’ll have air coming down from the surface, so it’s going to be about managing ventilation along with employing the principles of supercavitation. Not a lot of work has been done in this area, so we’re leading the way.” Prototype testing began in summer 2021, with plans to go for the record in 2022. Alongside more sober developments aimed directly at the marketplace, the team calls this one “the moonshot.”

When these people talk to each other, they toss around stuff like “turbulent viscosity formula in the Standard K-Epsilon model.” It’s not “let it out till it luffs, then pull it in.” SP80 co-founder Mayeul van den Broek observes: “Like Sailrocket , both of the current record efforts are based on the concept of aligning opposed forces, but then you prioritize either efficiency, power or stability. Syroco chose ­efficiency as a top priority. We chose stability, which is why we are producing such a different realization of the same concept.”

The SP80 principals witnessed L’Hydroptere ’s stunning record run in 2009 and never quite got over it. Then, during a university competition to design the most efficient radio-controlled boat, they developed a hankering to try a superventilating foil on a kiteboard. When Benoit Gaudiot easily hit 41 knots, van den Broek says: “We saw that the rider was the weak link, and if we wanted to go faster, we would need a rigid link between the kite and the foil. Then, well, we might as well go for the record. We will use inflatable kites, even though a wing might be more efficient, because new-­generation kites will serve at 80 knots. We can be versatile, launching kites from 20 to 50 square meters for different conditions.”

Their superventilating foils, Gaudiot says, “will have water flowing on one side and air on the other. Sailrocket used similar superventilating foils. That is less efficient than a supercavitating foil generating vapor, but it’s a lot more stable. A superventilating foil at low speed will develop more drag than a conventional foil. At high speed, it has no limits.”

SP80′s link between airfoil and hydrofoil depends upon a module that is, “mechanical but automatic,” according to van den Broek. “It will be close to the controls of a conventional kite.” Gaudiot adds, “Having one line carry all the power allows you to know exactly where that power will be coming from, and you can advance it into the window ahead for best ­performance, like any kite.”

In theory, there is no ­heeling and no capsizing because the power of the kite is countered by the force of the foil. As with Syroco, 2022 is the target record date.

Last year, we wrote in these pages about an ambitious plan to rehab the 60-foot ­foiling trimaran L’Hydroptere and put the old girl to work as a point-to-point record hunter. Gabriel Terrasse and Chris Welsh partnered to buy the legendary campaigner, once left derelict in Hawaii. They patched it up and had it sailed to San Francisco, where it was taken apart with an intent to rebuild it better than ever. Work was well along when Welsh—who would have carried on with or without sponsorship—died suddenly, and all bets were off, save for Terrasse’s persistence.

“We’re looking for ­sponsors,” Terrasse says, “and we have engineers studying how to add ground effect to L’Hydroptere 2.0 along with new foils, a longer and lighter main hull, a wingsail, global aerodynamic optimization and much more. It was hard to lose Chris. We shared the dream. But L’Hydroptere has great potential to serve science and catalyze innovation.”

L’Hydroptere ’s 51.36-knot run in 2009 represented a last shot at setting speed records on water through pure muscle. Paul Larsen’s nine-year quest to solve the problem at a technical level culminated in that 65.45-knot run in 2012. Today the beast is still in a dark container in Namibia where Larsen packed it away. And yes, considering that Sailrocket had only a handful of runs in what turned out to be record-setting mode—fat foils, not thin foils, and according to the team’s VPP, 65 knots was a worst-case outcome; everything was structured to go 80 knots—it’s tempting to imagine putting Sailrocket 2 back on the track. What would change is the safety regime. It’s not hard to find videos online of early-­version Sailrocket 1 going aerial.

“In any future scenario, I’d want a roll cage and oxygen,” Larsen says, “and maybe I’m at a point where I’d be happy to see someone else sitting there.”

“Tell Paul he’s getting soft,” was the joking comeback from Richard Jenkins when I mentioned that to him. Jenkins holds the land-speed sailing record at 126.2 knots, which took him “only” 10 years of trying as his various iterations developed. As far as we know, no one is challenging that record today. Jenkins’ story speaks to the difficulty of these endeavors in any medium. He says: “I’m often asked if I would try to break the record again. If I had unlimited funding and built a new vehicle, based on my ­cumulative ­knowledge, it might take me five years or more, and then we’d probably see an increment of 1 or 2 percent. It takes being in the right place at the right time, with certified observers, which is hard to put together. You then have to be technically perfect, at the right moment, with virtually no testing because wind might come suddenly. It takes a great deal of time and experience—and then you shoot from the hip. I have better things to do.”

Running his company, Saildrone, for example, with which Jenkins does his own part to care for the planet by fielding autonomous surface vehicles for ocean research. Having built a kite-powered ­trimaran 20 years ago, Jenkins worries the Swiss are “barking up the wrong tree.” But technologies evolve, and 2022 bids to be a fascinating time. Of Syroco’s moonshot, Taillard says: “Half of our brain power is spent making it safe. If a foil breaks, or if it comes out of the water—which isn’t going to ­happen—all safety systems have to work perfectly.”

Caizergues, who will be in Syroco’s control pod with a co-pilot, adds: “One of the goals is to produce a craft that will be safe for me to drive. And to crash. Helmets, oxygen, padding, quick-release mechanisms for sure, and we’re not committed to air bags, but maybe.”

Syroco and SP80 intend to run in the south of France, where the Mistral roars down to the Med. It worked for L’Hydroptere , but these new efforts place ever more extreme demands upon managing the interface between air and water, which at sea level is 784 times the density of air. The world will be watching, and perhaps I speak for many when I say, “Gentlemen: May the alignments of force be with you.”

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Speed sailing record: A global battle for dominance

• Toby Heppell
• June 16, 2022

The history of the world speed sailing record is one of battles between boats, windsurfers and kitesurfers all vying for the ultimate prize

Speed sailing records are a relatively new concept. Although the motor car is a newer invention than the sailboat (by many thousands of years!) it was not until 1972 that the first official sailing speed record was set, a full 94 years after the first land speed record was set in a motor vehicle.

There are many reasons for this. Partly it is down to the difficulty of accurately recording speed in the water, and partly due to the fact that because sailboats and sailing craft had long been used for transportation, the tradition of record setting by yacht was all about covering significant distances (crossing oceans, or moving cargo over long stretches of water) in a time that was measured in hours and days, if not weeks.

Speed for a sailing boat was traditionally focussed – and largely remains so today – on maintaining high average speeds over long distances, rather than trying to create a sail-powered vessel or sailboat that could attain a single high peak speed.

Referring to the sailing speed record and world’s fastest boat , commonly means referencing the World Sailing Speed Record Council’s (WSSRC) 500m record – often called the ‘outright’ speed record and the first to be ratified by then newly formed WSSRC in 1972. But there are many other sailing speed records now, all ratified by the WSSRC.

Aside from the outright sailing speed record, the one nautical mile record and the 24-hour record are two more highly sought after records. The 1 nautical mile can often be competed in a craft designed for the outright record, whereas the 24 hour record is the preserve of ocean-going yachts and multihulls. The current 24-hour record was set at an average speed of 37.83 knots, covering a distance of 907.9 nautical miles in the 24 hour period.

Speed sailing record venues

Initially speed sailing records were set at events run in conjunction with the WSSRC where any number of vessels designed for outright speed would compete over a predetermined 500m course.

Typically these venues would feature a stretch of water that was flat enough that waves would not be an issue and was also likely to have some decent wind at the time of the event.

Weymouth & Portland, UK was the home of early speed records

In the early days, Portland near Weymouth in the UK (the sailing venue for the 2012 Olympic Games ) was the effective home of speed sailing and saw the first seven records all set there. With its sheltered harbour and regular strong winds – particularly in the autumn – it was a great venue.

However, as windsurfers and other craft that could be sailed in shallower water came to the fore in speed sailing other venues were found, or created, which took the flat water and high wind concept a step further.

One of the most famous speed sailing venues is the Saintes Maries de la Mer Speed Canal, know as either ‘The Canal’ or ‘The French Trench’. This is a man-made shallow canal that was dug in a west-northwest/east-southeast orientation designed to take advantage of the incredibly strong Marin and Mistral winds that blow in that location.

This venue effectively became home to the world speed sailing record throughout the late 1980s until the early 2000s.

Another (semi) man-made venue, which was particularly effective for kitesurfers, took over as the speed sailing venue of choice from the early 2000s onwards, reflecting the move away from windsurfers holding the record to kite surfers vying for the record. Luderitz, Namibia features a 1 km by 7 km lagoon , where between August and March every year there is a consistent, strong wind, blowing from the south at the perfect angle of 140 degrees to the course.

Zara Davis at the Luderitz speed canal/ Photo: Wikimedia / Walnut1340

Initially this course was relatively untouched to set records but man-made elements have since been introduced to reduce chop and perfect the sailing angle, so that now, the venue resembles The Canal in France.

Despite these three venues between them being the locations for the vast majority of speed sailing records being set, others were used as individual challenges went in search of the perfect venue for their craft – or got lucky with the perfect wind and wave state elsewhere. Among the most famous is Walvis Bay, Namibia, home of the current speed sailing record.

Speed sailing record history

As reflected in the changing venues over time, the history of the speed sailing record is one of different types of craft coming to dominate over long periods of time before being overtaken by new developments.

Crossbow II. Photo: Getty Images

Crossbow and Crossbow II

The fist speed sailing record was set by Tim Colman in his Proa, Crossbow . She was 56 feet long and had a 60 foot mast, but the main hull was a mere 22 inches wide.

A Proa features more than one hull but in an asymmetric configuration with the smaller hull essentially providing righting moment to counter the forces of the sails. The smaller, outrigger hull on Crossbow was separated by 30 feet crossbeams from the main hull, and was where the crew sat in order to add their weight to the righting moment of the boat.

In 1972 Crossbow claimed the record for the world’s fastest yacht at 26.3 knots. Coleman would set another two records in the boat in 1973 (29.30 knots) and 1975 (31.10 knots).

Coleman then launched another boat, Crossbow II , designed to bat his previous records.

Article continues below

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Crossbow II had a waterline length of over 60 feet and was unique in many ways. Each hull had its own mast and sail which produced a bi-plane rig.

She was more similar to a catamaran than a proa, but her two hulls were not built square to each other as in the traditional style of catamarans. Instead the two hulls were ‘slewed’, with the leeward one several feet forward of the windward one. This was done to reduce the aerodynamic interference of the two rigs.

She was a resounding success and by 1980 had set four more records over the years, culminating in a final top speed of 36 knots.

The age of the windsurfer

Crossbow II ’s record stood for six years but change was afoot in the speed sailing world as windsurfers where becoming more advanced and closing in on the record. In 1986, ​​Frenchman Pascal Maka set a new record of 38.86 at Sotavento, Fuerteventura.

Maka was ousted from the top spot in 1988, with Briton Eric Neale setting a new record at the Canal in France and becoming the first person to set a speed sailing record over 40 knots.

Maka took the record back in 1990 before Thierry Bielak went on to set three new records at the same location topping out at 45.34 knots.

Yellow Pages in 1993. Photo: Frederick Clement/DPPI Media/Alamy

Yellow pages

Yellow Pages Endeavour was, and remains, one of the most recognisable sailboats for many. She was an impressive bit of kit, designed by Australian Lindsay Cunningham specifically to set a new outright speed sailing record.

In concept she is not dissimilar to a proa though she featured a central skimming hull, and two outriggers, one to windward where the pilot sat and controlled the boat and one to leeward which would counter the force of the sail.

The sail itself was a solid wingsail providing a vast amount of power for its size. The whole thing was something of a technological marvel for its time. However, unlike windsurfers, it could not be sailed in a canal or trench and so the team needed to find a suitably flat coastal area in order to set their record.

In 1993 Yellow Pages Endeavour set a new speed sailing record of 46.52 knots, seemingly putting the record beyond the reach of the windsurfing world.

Cunningham and his team continued to hunt for a new outright record designing a new boat, Macquarie Innovation , which was a development of Yellow Pages with the hopes of putting the record even further out of reach. But they never managed to officially top that first record – the Yellow Pages record eventually stood for 11 years.

Over the course of those 11 years many began to wonder if this record could ever be broken and talk of a theoretical top speed of 50 knots became widespread. But finally in 2004 Finian Maynard on a windsurfer set another new record of 46.82 knots back at the old hunting ground of The Canal in France.

Maynard set another record in 2005, which held for a couple of years before Frenchman, Antoine Albeau stormed to a new record of 49.09 knots in 2008.

All of a sudden 50 knots seemed to be in reach.

Kitesurfing speed records

Just as the windsurfing fraternity had claimed their time at the forefront of speed sailing records, a new upstart sport, kitesurfing began closing in on the windsurfers’ top speeds.

Kitesurfers had been building ever more impressive speeds over the course of the early 2000s, and in the same year Albeau set his record, American Robert Douglas stepped even closer to 50 knots, setting a record of 49.84 knots in Luderitz, Namibia.

It was a particularly good year for records in Luderitz, Namibia as Douglas was immediately ousted by Sebastien Cattelan, the Frenchman becoming the first to top 50 knots setting a new record of 50.26 knots.

But he quickly saw his record fall to fellow countryman Alexandre Caizergues who topped out 2008’s impressive four new records with a 50.57 knot run.

Hydroptere. Photo: Francis DEMANGE / Getty

Unusually in the history of the speed sailing record, it was an ocean crossing boat that would be the next to take the mantle of world’s fastest boat, setting a new record, not in a trench or a canal, or even relatively calm bay, but out to sea.

Hydroptère was the experimental hydrofoiling trimaran that was the brainchild of skipper, helmsman and project founder Alain Thébault, together with design studio VPLP. It was built on principles Thébault proved as early as the 1990s and launched in 2008.

It featured two huge hydrofoils on each outermost hull, which would fully life the boat out of the water.

She would set many distance records in her time, but shortly after she was launched, Hydroptère blasted into the record books, grabbing the 500m record for the D Class (44.8 knots) and the nautical mile record (41.6 knots).

The team’s ultimate goal was the outright sailing speed record, though and in 2009, she pushed this to 52.8 knots, and in the same year set a record of 50.1 knots over a one-mile course.

Although the kitesufers which came before had broken 50 knots, for many Hydroptère’s record was the final nail in the coffin for the theoretical 50 knot limit for a speed sailing vessel.

But the story was not quite over yet for the kitesurfing world, with several new records set in 2010, before the first man to set a speed sailing record on a kiteboard, Robert Douglas, also became the most recent person to do so, hitting 55.65 knots on his kiteboard in Namibia.

Vestas Sailrocket 2 used force alignment to achieve her remarkable speeds. Photo: Vestas Sail Rocket 2

Vestas Sail Rocket 2

Having attempted to set new records in his original SailRocket design, Australian born Paul Larsen launched Vestas Sail Rocket 2 in 2011.

The boat, much like Yellow Pages , was build specifically with record breaking in mind and featured a plethora of technological advances. Special foils were designed and built, a solid wing sail was designed and built and the craft followed an aerodynamic philosophy of balancing forces that had never been seen before.

The Sail Rocket team identified Walvis Bay in Namibia as the best venue for them to set a record and went about their business over the course of the next year.

After years of trial and error from their first boat launch to getting Sail Rocket 2 up to speed, finally in 2012 they got the right conditions and managed a recorded run of 59.23 knots.

But it was not over there, as they quickly upped that 59.37 knots before finally obliterating the record to set a new speed sailing record of 65.45 knots.

This is the record that stands today 10 years on. It’s a significant legacy, and one which has not been close to being beaten for many years.

But technology is always moving forward and the history of the speed sailing record tends to be that of long periods of no activity before a flurry of new records push it ever higher.

There are already teams talking of 80 knots in the future, with two challengers launching boats soon. Watch this space…

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WSSRC Ratified World Passage Records

Current outright ratified world records (speed order).

Yacht types: S - Single-hulled yacht (monohull) C- Catamaran T - Trimaran [1] - Voyage was single-handed; otherwise the vessel had two or more persons

Copyright 2022 World Sailing Speed Record Council. All rights reserved.

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Fastest cruising trimaran of all time

Nov 05, 2020

less than a min

A trimaran is also known as a double-outrigger . This is a multihull boat that contains a main larger hull and two small outrigger hulls on the sides. Their design originated from the Philippines and Eastern Indonesia, where they are to this day used as the main fishing boats.

Nowadays, however, trimarans are designed as sailing yachts for racing and recreational purposes, which is why the fastest cruising trimaran is of great interest to the world. It is a fact that trimarans are faster than monohulls or catamarans. As such, their world record has managed to beat any other catamarans’ or monohull prior record.

The record for the fastest cruising trimaran is held by Thomas Coville . He used a trimaran called Sodebo Ultim to sail across the world on Christmas 2016 . HIs trip lasted for 49 days and 3 hours . Thomas Coville’s record beat his predecessor, Francis Joyon, who sailed across the world in a trimaran on the20th of January 2008 on a trip that lasted 57 days and 13 hours. Before them, it was Ellen MacArthur to hold this record after having sailed across the world in February 2005, in a trimaran for 71 days.

The fastest cruising trimaran to this day is the Maxi trimaran IDEC SPORT . This vessel is both wind or mechanically powered and has completed a voyage around the world in 40 days 23 hours 30 minutes 30 seconds. The Maxi trimaran IDEC SPORT can reach an average speed of 26.85 knots or 30.71 MPH .

In addition, this boat has covered a distance of 26,412 nautical miles, or 48,915 km (30,394 mi). In 2020, the Maxi trimaran IDEC SPORT managed to sail from Hong Kong to London in 32 days.

While the Maxi trimaran IDEC SPORT has been established as the fastest cruising trimaran of all time due to the journeys it has completed, there are however a few other boats that have managed to reach more speed. These boats however have not been able to withstand such speed and have capsized.

That is exactly what happened to Hydroptère . Hydroptère is an experimental hydrofoil trimaran. This vessel managed to reach 56.3 knots or 104.3 km/h (64.8 mph) near Fos-sur-Mer. However, it capsized a few minutes after.

Fastest cruising trimarans to have made history

There are many more trimarans that have made history due to their speed. Firstly, the giant trimaran by BMW Oracle Racing team represented the Golden Gate Yacht Club in 2010. This trimaran won the 33rd America’s Cup on Valentine’s day 2010 by sailing off the coast of Spain. It managed to beat the Alinghi catamaran by a large margin.

In addition, the Weta dinghies have started to make a good name for themselves. These are trimarans used for performance day sailing. They are fast, light, and very flexible. Also, these trimarans have been used for disabled sailing. The reason being that you do not need to move around the cockpit to maintain stability when on a Weta Dinghy.

You can compare trimarans with TheBoatDB and figure out for yourself whether they are a good fit for your marina. Do not forget that trimarans in general will require more space when parked. If you are a speed junkie, however, these vessels will definitely appeal to you.

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French trimaran smashes speed record

By Ocean Navigator

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The Two-Way

Around the world in 42 days: frenchman sets new sailing record.

Scott Neuman

French skipper, François Gabart, waves aboard his 100-foot trimaran as he celebrates his world record off Brest harbor, western France, on Sunday. Thibault Camus/AP hide caption

French skipper, François Gabart, waves aboard his 100-foot trimaran as he celebrates his world record off Brest harbor, western France, on Sunday.

There is a new world record for sailing solo around the world : 42 days, 16 hours, 40 minutes and 35 seconds. If verified, it is more than 6 days faster than the previous record, set a year earlier.

Gabart reacts after his world record, in the Brest harbor, western France, on Sunday. Thibault Camus/AP hide caption

Gabart reacts after his world record, in the Brest harbor, western France, on Sunday.

French sailor François Gabart, aboard a 100-foot trimaran, set out on Nov. 4 to break the record held by countryman Thomas Coville. On Sunday, Gabart crossed the virtual finish between France's northwest tip and Lizard Point in southwest England at 0145 GMT before turning homeward to Brest in northwestern France.

He reportedly averaged 27.2 knots (31.3 mph) over 27,859.7 nautical miles.

Making such a journey is a difficult feat. It involves tackling the cold and stormy Southern Ocean that rings Antarctica, all the while tending a high-performance sailing vessel at the edge of its performance envelope.

After reaching Brest, Gabart, 34, said he was "aching all over."

"[It's] been like that for weeks, weeks since a proper sleep – I can hardly go on," he told reporters after making landfall at Brest.

"It was hard and I was on the very edge of things the whole time."

Exhausted or not, Gabart managed to share a bottle of champagne with his shore crew.

"It hasn't sunk in yet but I know it's a great time," he said.

Britain's Dame Ellen MacArthur won the title for fastest non-stop circumnavigation in 2005, but lost it to Francis Joyon of France. She regained it three years later.

Gabart's record must be verified by the World Sailing Speed Record Council , which will scrutinize his vessel's GPS data before signing off on the new record.

Published on July 27th, 2023 | by Editor

In pursuit of trans-Atlantic record

Published on July 27th, 2023 by Editor -->

New York, NY (July 27, 2023) – The maxi trimaran Sails of Change set out today in an attempt to break the trans-Atlantic record. Yann Guichard and his 11-strong crew arrived in the United States the day before to take advantage of a favorable weather window.

In their sights is the record set by Pascal Bidegorry in August 2009 aboard the same boat (previously called Banque Populaire V) of 3 days, 15 hours and 25 minutes.

The maxi trimaran had arrived on the US east coast last May to prepare for one of the most prestigious records in the sailing world: crossing the Atlantic from west to east.

“It’s one of the most incredible records to go after, along with the Jules Verne Trophy and the 24-hour record,” said Guichard.”To beat it we need to maintain an average speed of around 33 knots throughout the attempt.

“As soon as we landed, we got together on the boat to get ready and cast off. The record period is between July and early November so we wanted to be ready, while keeping an eye of the most favorable weather window.”

Many of the 11 sailors joining Guichard had been on stand-by last winter for an attempt at the round-the-world Jules Verne Trophy. “There’s a great state of mind — everyone decided to come at the last moment,” said Guichard. “We all want to give it our all and try our luck.”

They have an incredible tool at their disposal: the largest ocean-racing trimaran ever designed at 37 metres long and 23 metres wide. Sails of Change holds two Jules Verne Trophies (2012, 2017), the Discovery Route record between Cadiz and San Salvador (2013), and a prestigious win in the Transat Quebec – Saint Malo (2016).

Sails of Change passed the Ambrose Light, the startling line for the attempt outside of New York Harbor, at 13:10:08 UTC (09:10:08 EDT), and is now heading for Lizard Point on Great Britain’s southwest coast, a course of 2,880 nm across the heart of the North Atlantic.

The weather window identified by the Sails of Change team offered the right conditions for the attempt. “The two weather models seem to be aligned,” explained Guichard. “We should set off ahead of a low-pressure system forming on the east coast which will move northwards.

“Throughout the crossing the wind will be from the south, southwest. The whole crossing should be on a starboard tack with only one or two gybes. The conditions will put us well within the record time.”

Guichard seeks to reclaim the record he previously held as one of the crew that lowered the time in 2006 to 4 days and 8 hours with Orange II, and again in 2007 on Groupama 3 in a time of 4 days and 3 hours.

Sails of Change crew: Yann Guichard (skipper) Duncan Spath (helmsman) Benjamin Schwartz (navigator) Xavier Revil (watch leader) Jacques Guichard (watch leader) Thierry Chabagny (helmsman-trimmer) Grégory Gendron (trimmer) Loic Le Mignon (trimmer) Thibault Julien (trimmer) Christopher Pratt (helmsman-trimmer) Clément Giraud (bowman) Pieter Tack (bowman)

Tags: records , World Sailing Speed Record Council , Yann Guichard

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Theoretical hull speed for VERY NARROW hulled trimaran.

Discussion in ' Powerboats ' started by Docta , Nov 26, 2008 .

Docta New Member

Hey... I've been looking for some information lately on theoretical hull speeds on very narrow aspect ratio hulls, and cant find any good info. I have built one boat in the past, a flat bottomed fishing catamaran, with decent results for the flats and rivers and am looking now for a project to get me offshore and slice through decent chop on my may to the backwaters I want to build an 8 foot beam 22 foot long full displacemt power boat, riding on three VERY narrow hulls, 8" a piece should give me as much float as I need, leaving a L:B ratio of about 33:1; kind of the same concept as the glacier bay boats, but a bit more extreme and with no "planing section" over the displacement portion of the hull.--- all of the hull speed calculators I can find do not calculate hull speeds for very narrow hulls... and predict this boat wont break 8 knots. I was hoping somebody might be able to give me a reliable estimate of the theoretical hull speed of such an arrangement, and a reasonable estimate of the power needed to get three of these hulls to theoretical maximum hull speed and how many HP in particular Ill need to get to my target cruise speed of 20 knots. I am hoping for 20 knots at 60-75 HP in real world conditions, and I think this should be achievable but I want solid numbers before moving forward. Loaded at fishing/boating weight, I am assuming a total wet displacement of 2500#. THanks in advance for any help or info you could provide!  

Guest625101138 Previous Member

Hull speed is a defined parameter related to the celerity of the transverse wave group formed by the hull that has the same wavelength as the water line length of the hull. It was coined a long time ago when it was determined that heavy displacement hulls found it difficult to exceed the so-called hull speed unless they had very high power. In deep water the celerity of a wave train is given by: V=sqrt(g x Wavelength / (2 PI)) (g is gravitational constant 9.8m/s/s) A long slender hull has relatively low wave drag compared with viscous drag so the notion of hull speed does not apply. The detail provided so far gives you a starting point for a design. Maximum length 20ft. Overall beam 8ft. Target speed 20kts. You need to make an estimate of the overall weight as this will be critical. You can use some free software Michlet/Godzilla that will give you an optimum for any configuration. I am not sure if 3 equal size hulls will give the lowest drag but it worth investigating. I know that a monohull will not give the lowest drag at that speed and length. Rick W  

terhohalme BEng Boat Technology

Check this: http://www.ctcnederland.nl/texelrating2007eng.htm There is an calculator for reference. http://www.ctcnederland.nl/easy calculator example.xls  

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PortTacker Junior Member

Two things - if the mainhull is very narrow, that's a pretty heavy motor you're contemplating. You'll waste half the power overcoming its own weight. Based on performance I've seen over the years - I'd say if you keep the hulls narrow and shape them for low drag, keep windage to an absolute minimum and keep the boat light - at 22x8 feet you should easily be a ble to hit the 20 knots cruise with 30hp. You might contact Mike Leneman at Multimarine.com - he's played with this concept with great results.  

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Bangor Daily News

Maine news, sports, politics, election results, and obituaries

Land speed racers gunning for records on Loring runway

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LIMESTONE, Maine – Seventy-two racers with a need for speed broke records and reunited with old pals at the former Loring Air Force Base this week.

Every summer and fall, the Loring Timing Association holds four days of races where folks compete on their own souped-up motorcycles or in cars and trucks for a chance to score major bragging rights.

Loring’s two-and-a-half mile runway has become the ideal venue for various forms of racing, including land sailing  held every spring and fall. The Loring Timing Association, which organizes and oversees the events, has held races there since 2009. It’s the only land speed track located east of the Mississippi River, said Race Director Joe Daly. Other yearly land speed races are held in Utah, Texas and Arkansas.

Unlike most competitions, land speed racers are not timed against each other. Instead, they are seeking to beat their own speed records and chase the elusive 311 miles per hour world record set in 2011 by the late motorcyclist Bill Warner of Wimauma, Florida.

As of Friday afternoon, there had been no vehicle accidents or driver injuries, Daly said.

Land speed racing is typically considered a safe sport but Loring Timing Association added new inspection requirements  after an accident claimed Warner’s life in 2013  while he attempted to surpass 300 miles per hour.

“This has been the best event we’ve ever had,” Daly said Friday. “There have been no vehicle breakdowns in the three days.”

A customized “Bill Warner Boulevard” street sign now stands at the starting line in honor of Warner and the close bonds that form between racers. Fifteen new members were inducted into the 150, 175 and 200-mile-per-hour “clubs” to commemorate their new speed records.

Michael Carter, 54, of Prince Edward Island, Canada, became one of the new members of “the 200 club” during his time racing a 2005 Suzuki motorcycle at Loring. His top speed was 204 miles per hour.

While hanging out near their campers Friday, Carter and fellow racer Domenic Ferlisi, 74, of Montreal, Canada, said they both got interested in land speed racing in their younger days after reading publications like “Hot Rod Magazine.” They raced with friends for fun but never seriously until later in life.

“My first race was in 2019 at Bonneville [Salt Flats in Utah] and I heard about Loring through a friend,” Carter said.

Ferlisi has raced at Loring since 2013, and this year he rode his 1990 Ducati motorcycle. Though he has never topped his record of 139 miles per hour, Ferlisi enjoys the thrill more than the competition.

“It’s the highest high you can get,” Ferlisi said. “This [type of racing] is the best way to learn. You don’t have a sponsor, so everything you get right, you work hard for.”

Racers this year have come as far as California, Virginia, North Carolina and Michigan but the majority come from northeastern United States and Canada, Daly said.

As of Friday, the record speed at this summer’s Loring event was 255 miles per hour set by Gilles Chiasson of Quebec, Canada on his motorcycle.

Some of the most unique entries included a green 1955 Chevrolet driven by Ed Blakeslee of New Jersey and a red electric, 1,002-horsepower Tesla raced by New Hampshire native Stan Adams.

Land speed racing has become a special type of event because of the camaraderie that forms between the racers, Daly noted.

“There are racers within the same class as you who will loan you a part [for your vehicle] so you can beat your own record,” Daly said. “It almost becomes like a family.”

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StarTribune

New film relives minnesota-led mississippi river guinness speed record.

A new documentary will premiere next month about a Minnesotan-led canoe pursuit of the world speed record for the fastest descent of the Mississippi River in 2023.

Scott Miller and three companions claimed the Guinness Book record when they paddled their 23-foot Wenonah canoe the entirety of the river 2,300 miles from Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico in 16 days, 20 hours and 16 minutes.

The 90-minute film "Mississippi Speed Record: An Epic Adventure" premieres at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 3 at Riverview Theater in south Minneapolis.

Filmmakers Alex Maier and Amy Robin of Wilderness Mindset, a Montana outdoors production company, were with the paddlers and the large support crew on the ground and on the water when the record attempt began May 10, 2023. They captured the trip from white caps on Lake Winnibigoshish in northern Minnesota not far from the Lake Itasca headwaters to the barge wakes of the Lower Mississippi River. In between, on a relentless tear, the men experienced all manner of physical and mental hardships and, too, the joys of extreme adventure on the great river.

Tens of thousands of Facebook fans followed the team's attempt.

The filmmakers at times had to match the relentless 24/7 pace of the paddlers. Maier said the conditions were unlike anything they'd experienced on other projects, including several around long-distance hiking.

"We were just on the entire time," he said. When they weren't filming and shooting photos, there were challenges such as charging batteries and storing or editing footage. He said the increasingly weary paddlers couldn't have kept up the action either when every minute was factored in to try to get the speed record.

From sleeping to eating breaks, the paddlers "were doing the absolute minimum they could do to keep going," he added. "It wasn't sustainable."

Robin sounded most impressed by the expressions of humility and gratitude from the paddlers despite the intense conditions.

Film tickets are $15 apiece. Find them on Eventbrite . Tickets also are available for a celebratory pizza party and panel discussion at 5 p.m. Aug. 3 at the DoubleTree hotel in Bloomington.

The filmmakers have released two trailers in advance of the showing. View them at bit.ly/canoeMISS .

Bob Timmons covers news across Minnesota's outdoors, from natural resources to recreation to wildlife.

• An apology to Dean Phillips
• Celebrity photographer and her famous actor husband call Minnesota home
• The 5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities this week
• Global tech outage halts flights at MSP, other ramifications in Minnesota seen
• Yuen: Seriously, what purpose do mosquitoes serve?
• 2 pit bulls attack, critically injure toddler in Brooklyn Park

Astros complete climb and pull even in AL West race after beating Mariners 3-0

Freeman hits grand slam in 8th inning to lift dodgers to 4-1 win over red sox, schuemann homers, drives in 4 and athletics beat angels 13-3, jake cave hits go-ahead 3-run homer in the 8th in the rockies' 7-3 victory over the giants, witt's homer and wacha's seven scoreless innings lead royals over white sox, 7-1.

• Anderson: Anatomy of a nighttime helicopter rescue in the Boundary Waters • Outdoors
• New film relives Minnesota-led Mississippi River Guinness speed record • Outdoors
• Boundary Waters fishing trip becomes both tragedy, extraordinary rescue and search • Outdoors
• 10 tips on how to catch Minnesota's tight-lipped walleyes in midsummer • Outdoors
• The 100-year bridge: Jay Cooke's swinging span is picture of perseverance • Outdoors

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Science News

World record speeds for two olympics events have fallen over time. we can go faster.

Humans are built to go faster in the 50-meter freestyle and 100-meter dash

Usain Bolt of Jamaica set the world record for the men’s 100-meter sprint at the 12th IAAF World Athletics Championships on August 16, 2009, in Berlin when he ran the race in 9.58 seconds. Humans are capable of running even faster.

Mark Dadswell/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images Europe

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By Erin Garcia de Jesús

July 12, 2024 at 9:00 am

Ready, set, go break a record.

As elite athletes compete for top accolades in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, at least a few world records will undoubtedly fall. But some of the Olympics’ speediest events — the 100-meter dash and the 50-meter freestyle swim — haven’t picked up the pace in more than a decade. Though records are made to be broken, how much faster humans can go on land or sea is an open question.

On land, records in the 100-meter dash have been in place since 2009 for men and 1988 for women. Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt ran the race in just 9.58 seconds with a top speed of nearly 45 kilometers per hour, beating his previous world record by just under a tenth of a second ( SN: 11/20/09 ). Meanwhile, the women’s record is held by American sprinter Florence Griffith Joyner, who completed the distance in 10.49 seconds.

Speedier runs

Times for the 100-meter dash have gone down by about a second for men since recordkeeping began in 1912. Women are running the race about three seconds faster since the first record was set in 1922. Though Florence Griffith Joyner is the current women’s record holder, the record is in doubt. Winds over 2 meters per second disqualify new records. The wind gauge registered 0, but other races that day had logged winds. Still, the record stands. 

Starting in 1968, some record times were oddly higher than earlier ones. That reflects a transition to electronic timing, with precision to a hundredth of a second. Previous manual times were rounded to the nearest tenth of a second.

Based on human gait and our muscle strength , research suggests that people might be capable of running as fast as roughly 60 km/h. That’s 100 meters in 5.625 seconds. But the realities of sprinting speed largely depend on technique, says Ross Miller, a biomechanist at the University of Maryland in College Park.

“A sprint should be as hard as you can every step,” Miller says. “Maximum, instantaneous effort all the time.” Top speed depends on how little time our feet need to come in contact with the ground while still applying the force necessary to propel us forward.

It’s possible that no one has yet run at maximum speed because no one has come along with the physical ability, Miller says. Or it could be because the right person hasn’t had access to the training, or hasn’t “put it all together yet in the perfect race.” In the past century, the fastest time for the 100-meter dash has shrunk by one second for men and about three seconds for women.

It’s much harder for humans to go fast in water. In the 50-meter freestyle, the men’s record belongs to César Cielo Filho, a swimmer from Brazil who swam the pool’s length in 20.91 seconds in 2009 — just under one-quarter of Bolt’s record-setting average running speed. In 2023, Swedish swimmer Sarah Sjöström swam the race in 23.61 seconds to earn the women’s record. Both top times are roughly three seconds fewer than the first records set in the 1970s.

Faster swims

World record times for men and women in the 50-meter freestyle have gone down by about three seconds since recordkeeping began in the late 1970s. A wave of new records came in 2008 and 2009, when a new swimsuit line manufactured by Speedo entered pools. The expensive fabric compressed swimmers’ bodies and also made them more buoyant, giving swimmers who wore them a speed advantage. The suits were banned from competition in 2010.

Swimming is slower than running largely because water is far denser than air, says Timothy Wei, a fluid dynamist at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. But also, “we all have this bowling ball between our shoulders. And this thing creates a huge amount of drag.”

For swimming speed, it’s unknown how much room there is for growth. Swimming with the body parallel to the water’s surface can help eliminate the drag on our less-than-ideal frames. Superfast freestyle swimmers also raise their elbows as high as possible above the water, plunging their arms dramatically close to perpendicular with the water to pull themselves forward.

“If you get your technique right, and you can get your stroke rate as high as possible,” Wei says, “that combination is what’s going to get you to go as fast as you can.”

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Japan to speed up entry process as tourist wave hits new record

Foreign visitors arriving in Japan may get to breeze through immigration soon as the country looks for new ways to amplify a tourism boom that is boosting its economy.

The decision comes with record numbers of tourists already visiting the country. Around 17.8 million people came in the first half of the year, according to a Kyodo report. June also marked the fourth straight month where monthly visitors exceeded 3 million, while spending by foreign tourists for the April-June quarter hit a record ¥2.1 trillion ($13.4 billion), the report said.

The weak yen is driving the influx of tourists into the country, providing a boost to Japan’s fragile economy and its regions. The currency hit a 38-year low against the dollar earlier this month as the gap in interest rates between Japan and the United States continues to keep downward pressure on the currency.

The slump in the yen has turned Japan from a pricey bucket-list trip to a relatively inexpensive tourism and shopping destination. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is set to declare that ¥8 trillion of spending by foreign visitors is within sight in 2024 at a meeting to promote tourism on Friday, the Nikkei reported.

While the weakness in the yen is attracting tourists and shoppers to Japan, it is also fueling the strongest inflation cycle in decades, a factor that is dragging on domestic consumer spending.

There has also been a growing backlash among some locals annoyed by the ever-increasing influx.

Kyoto’s local district council has banned visitors from the narrow private streets of the Gion district, while local authorities in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, erected a barrier to stop tourists from taking photos at a convenience store with Mount Fuji in the background.

In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.

When is Donald Trump's speech at the 2024 RNC? Start time, where to watch and stream

Former president donald trump, on the heels of an assassination attempt, is slated to close out the republican national convention on thursday with his keynote speech..

Former President Donald Trump will be closing out the Republican National Convention (RNC) Thursday night in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, only days after an assassination attempt on his life .

The RNC , which began on Monday and has around 80 speakers , will end with Trump's speech. The former president and current Republican nominee for the 2024 U.S. presidential election, will talk to the crowd at the Fiserv Forum following the assassination attempt on Saturday during his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania that injured him, two attendees of the event and killed a 50-year-old man.

Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was identified as the shooter who fired multiple gunshots toward the rally stage where Trump was speaking to a crowd of his supporters, the FBI confirmed in a statement .

Trump, who's been donning a bandage over his right ear throughout the RNC, named Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his running mate at the convention on Monday.

Here is what to know ahead of the former president's speech at the RNC.

What time is Donald Trump's speech?

Trump's keynote speech is scheduled for 9-10:30 p.m. CT, according to a source familiar with the event.

The former president will follow Dana White , CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship.

How to watch Donald Trump's speech

People can watch Donald Trump's speech by streaming USA TODAY's Day 4 coverage of the RNC.

The speech will also be available on the GOP convention’s YouTube channel and X account .

C-SPAN , CNN,   Fox News ,  MSNBC ,  CBS News ,  ABC News  and  NBC News are all expected to air Trump's speech as the networks continue to provide coverage of the RNC.

Remaining RNC speakers list

Here's when Thursday's speakers are scheduled to take the podium, according to a source familiar with the event. All times are in  central time  and subject to change.

• 5:30-6 p.m. CT • Sen. Steve Daines (MT)• Rep. Richard Hudson (NC), Chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC)
• 6-6:30 p.m. CT • Diane Hendricks, everyday American• Diane Evans, everyday American• Linda McMahon, former Administrator of Small Business Administration• Mike Pompeo, former Secretary of State
• 6:30-7 p.m. CT • Pastor Lorenzo Sewell• John Nieporte, everyday American• Steve & Zach Witkoff
• 7-7:30 p.m. CT • Alina Habba, President Donald J. Trump's attorney• Tucker Carlson, founder of Tucker Carlson Network
• 7:30-8 p.m. CT • Carrie Ruiz, everyday American• Hulk Hogan, professional entertainer and wrestler• Annette Albright, everyday American
• 8-9 p.m. CT • Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association• Eric Trump• Dana White, CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship
• 9-10:30 p.m. CT • President Donald J. Trump

Contributing: Gabe Hauari and staff, USA TODAY

Quiz: What world records might look like in real life

Ho hum, another … world record?

Sometimes even all-time-great performances don’t look very impressive on a screen — especially during the Olympics, when a gold medalist is often faster, higher or stronger by just a tiny bit.

But if you put those feats in the context of the real world, well, that’s another story. Let’s try to tell it with this quiz.

Let’s start with a heavy topic.

Weightlifting

The world record for heaviest lift is kind of like hoisting which of these over your head.

A sea horse

To set the record, you would have to jump higher than …

The average ceiling in a house

A regulation men’s volleyball net

The noggin of NBA star Anthony Davis

Any of those, depending on the record

To approximate Ryan Crouser’s best, you could chuck a 16-pound bowling ball the length of …

A blue whale

A regulation basketball court

A railroad boxcar

42 pages of The Washington Post, end to end

To set a record during your trip to Washington, you could jump across …

Two lanes of Interstate 95

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

The T. rex at the National Museum of Natural History

Both incoming pandas, lying ears to toes

Maybe running is your thing. Usain Bolt’s top speed was fast enough to …

Cause a sonic boom

Earn a speeding ticket in a school zone

Leave a warthog in his dust

Nearly go toe-to-wheel with a Segway

At the highest point of his most recent world record jump, Armand “Mondo” Duplantis could have …

Landed on top of a semi-truck

Looked a large giraffe in the eyes

Inspected the gutters on a two-story house

Flown over the Empire State Building

About this story

Track and field records come from WorldAthletics.org , swimming from USASwiming.org and weightlifting from IWF.sport .

Editing by Samuel Granados and Matt Rennie. Copy editing by Ella Brockway. Print page measurement by Kati Perry.

Photographs and images used in photo illustrations by The Washington Post, Agence France-Presse, Xinhua News Agency, Getty Images, iStock and Associated Press.