The Trials

This video shows the fourth last and fastest ever run for VESTAS SAILROCKET. The boat was retired a few days later. It was the end of a remarkable campaign based on a unique and radical concept put forward 37 years earlier.
The video blends some of the early 1:5th scale model tests and shows how it finally translated into a boat that peaked at 52.78 knots and averaged 49.36 knots over the 500 meter record course (subject to WSSRC ratification) some seven long years later.
You can hear WSSRC commissioner Mike Ellison reading out the wind speed from the TACKTICK weather station at the timing hut throughout the run.
During its last 28 day record attempt in October 2009, VESTAS SAILROCKET made ten full speed runs down the 500 meter course and hit over 50 knots in seven of them. Despite this she still had another two knots to go to beat the current outright world speed sailing record holder, Hydroptere.
The team ran out of time and have decided to focus their efforts on a new boat based on all that was learnt in the development of the boat in the video.
The goal remains to be the fastest in the world.

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Sports

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• vestas
• sailrocket
• walvis
• bay
• namibia
• speed
• sailing
• world
• record
• malcolm
• barnsley
• bernard
• smith
• paul
• larsen
• sail
• rocket
• 50
• knots