Fear not... forces are at work!

Greetings all and apologies for the lack of info. Since returning from Walvis we have been very busy and alot has been happening. The project is changing gears in a very significant manner and we will say more when things are certain. Either way I think the last month has been the most influential in taking us closer to our goal to be the fastest.

Big things have been happening throughout the world of speed sailing. The 50 knot barrier is in fact no barrier at all. It is just a number to be beaten like any other. There is however a hell of a race to get there. The real barriers will exist at somewhat higher speeds where cavitation is inevitable.

 

HYDROPTERE

Hydroptere has hit a peak speed of 47.6 knots in France. I take my hat off to their dedication and passion. They have stuck at it and maintained a steady rate of progress towards realising their dreams. they have a boat which can be taken out of a harbour and sailed around in lumpy water in all directions. That is an amazing feat. they are still blasting around at near record speeds with furled headsails hoisted and heaps of excess mast, rigging, safety gear hanging off the boat. Truly great stuff.

From a competitors point of view they are still only surging up to these speeds and they still require alot of wind on a broad reach to go fast. The boat seems to yaw around quite a bit in the waves and make alot of spray. They also need to find a nice flat stretch of water to show their real potential. It's the same problem we all have. I think that until they find a good course that they will struggle to hit 50 let alone do a 500 meter run at that speed. They are one team I would be happy to be proven wrong by.

 

THOSE PESKY KITEBOARDERS!!!

Well assuming that their GPS gear is all up to scratch and we have no reason to think otherwise... these guys are currently rapidly disintegrating any possible myth of a 50 knot barrier. Tillman Heisig(?) hit 52.9 knots the other day and averaged 49.7 over 250 meters. This is an incredible feat for a sport that can still be considered in its infancy.

I have been giving a lot of thought to the whole kiting thing. My first reaction is that it is definitely sailing and should be considered an equal to any other contender. If that's the way the sport goes for now then who are we of all people to question the evolution?

BUT.... there is one issue that needs to be addressed and until I know the full facts I will leave the but hanging and consider the discussion open. A huge advantage of the kite board is its ability to sail in the flattest of waters close to the shore thanks to its shallow draft whilst the kite is up and away in relatively clean air.

No problem there, good for them.

But, does travelling in super shallow water then mean that the board is getting increased efficiency by closing the gap with the bottom? Is the bottom working to reduce the drag caused by the loss of pressure as the water from the high pressure bottom face of the board spills around the lower edge/rail?

If this is the case then is wind and water the only forces at work or has 'ground effect' been added to the equation?

They are using a very low aspect, fully ventilated surface to resist the side force of the kite. This is not a very efficient way of combatting side loads but if it travels in ground effect then it can become very efficient. A similar method is used by low flying WIG's(Wing I Ground-effect) aircraft. 

I would question this and how it relates to the future of the sport. The fact is that we could all benefit from this phenomenon. If only we could find spots where our foils would skim the bottom then we would all gain efficiency... but it's hard enough finding a place with the right wind strength. I don't want to take anything away from them... in fact it's the next sport I want to get into... but the depth issue might have to be considered a criteria for a WSSRC record so that we can all compete on the same field. It desrves discussion.

Still, bloody nice work.

 

MACQUARIE INNOVATIONS

Well they seem to be getting pretty tired of Sandy Point and I can understand that. sitting around waiting is a surefire way to kill motivation and waste money. Nothing gets done as you need time on the water to make real progress. I'm sure their boat also has alot of potential and that it's in a state of preparedness to tackle 50 knots. They need to make some executive decisions and stop hobby-arseing around with what is at stake. They have put too much work in over too long a time to just sit around on a beach and watch the competition pass them by. I say this because they are my original heroes. I think that when they finally show their potential I will take my hat off to them whilst muttering under my breath "about bloody time".

 

THE SAILBOARDS

They have all the same old issues of location, location. They have the most resource and competitors. Never let them claim to be the poor cousins to these big expensive craft. The money that is spent on these guys holding a single speed event would just about cover our whole program. Good on them I say because they work hard at it and are extremely good at what they do and they currently hold all the top spots. I honestly feel that their time is nearly up. They are limited in how far they can go even if they bump the existing record up. I'm sure that Finian Maynard was going over 50 at some stage through his record run. The versatility of this simple craft is mind boggling. they can do everything Hydroptere can do... and a double forward loop!!!

Go the champs... but enjoy it while it lasts.

 

We copped a little bit of a slating the other day on a popular American website which I found amusing. It put us firmly in the underdog position which to me is one of strength. It gives you a clear view of the orifice of your competition where your final result will be shoved! The site is renowned for people speaking their mind publicly which is great. If you are into free speech then you have to expect to be on the recieving end from time to time.

Bring it on I say.

The ball is in our court to respond with actions and that is our intention.

 

By the way, today Malcolm, Sailrockets founder and designer one the race and beat his own boat to 50!

So we are off to the party.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATE.

 

Cheers, Paul.

 

 

 

 

 

Paul Larsen
Mobile: + 44 (0) 794 684 1929
E-mail: paularsen1@aol.com
www.sailrocket.com