The kite-powered trimaran SP80 has reached a new top speed of 58.261 knots in just two test runs. This brings the Swiss team closer to its declared goal of breaking the current sailing speed record of 65.45 knots. The record was set in 2012 by Paul Larsen on board the "Vestas Sailrocket II". To break the record, the SP80 team is relying on innovative engineering: a specially developed foil is designed to accelerate the trimaran to over 80 knots. The boat is already one of the few sailing vessels to have exceeded the 100 km/h mark.
Breakthrough at 58 knots
"This is an important stage for the entire team. Very few sailing boats in history have exceeded the 100 km/h mark and we are getting closer to our final goal," explains Mayeul van den Broek, helmsman of the SP80. It is particularly encouraging that these speeds have been reached several times in the past week. This not only confirms the reliability of the boat, but also its potential for even higher speeds. The team is now working on maintaining these speeds over the distance of 500 metres required for the official record.
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Technical challenges
The latest successes are the result of continuous development work. The SP80 team has analysed the boat's behaviour at speeds above 100 km/h and is learning how to control it. Benoît Gaudiot, the kite pilot, reports: "We know the potential of the boat, now it's up to us to improve the precision of the steering. This week we have touched the 50 knot average speed over 500 metres several times." The team's current record is 48.6 knots over this distance. The crew is making great progress with every run and the coordination between the pilots is constantly improving.
SP80 on the hunt for records
With an average speed of 48.645 knots (90 km/h) over 500 metres, Team SP80 is within reach of the first official records that could be recognised by the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC). The category records are initially in their sights: 50.07 knots by Macquarie Innovation (2009) in category C (sail area between 21 and 27 m²) and 51.36 knots by Hydroptère (2009) in category D (sail area over 27 m²). These marks could fall in the coming weeks and secure the SP80 a place in the official record books.
The new record run from SP80
Morten Strauch
Editor News & Panorama
