Il speed record for a boat pushed by the wind it belongs to a sailboat, or rather to a prototype created by the Danish company Vestas which designs, manufactures and sells wind turbines all over the world. Is called "Sailrocket 2” and is a sort of rigid sail catamaran whose profile is very reminiscent of that of windsurfing sails. The record was made at Luderitz, Namibia. More precisely, inside a specially dug channel on the edge of the lagoon area south of the city. The Sailrocket 2 whizzed by 65,45 nodes i.e. at about 120 km/h.
The next appointment with the attempt to break this record is scheduled from 7 October to 17 November 2013 in the same African location. There Namibia it is now an obvious destination when it comes to speed and wind. Not surprisingly, in the last 4 years, the places that have seen the most records are all Namibian (Walvis Bay and Luderitz). The winds that blow from the ocean at an average speed of 30 km/h allow coastal cities a respite of just 30 days a year.
Il Lüderitz Speed Challenge, this is the name of the event, was born in 2007 and the first to break the barrier of 50 knots were the kites, right in Luderitz. For 2013, the athletes participating in the race will be 56. Three Italians present, all in the "windsurfing" category: Francesco d'Urso, Andrea Baldini and Alberto Possati. Under the jurisdiction of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) and the watchful eye of a Commissioner of World Sailing Speed Record, the suitors will sail over a distance of 500 metres, during which the average speed will be measured with high precision by two cameras placed on the starting and finishing lines of the race.
To get an idea of the show that the lucky ones who attend the rehearsal will be able to enjoy, here is the official video channel of the event: Luderitz Speed Challenge.
