Lüderitz Speed Challenge
Encyclopedia
The Lüderitz Speed Challenge is an annual speed sailing
event, held since 2007 in Lüderitz
, Namibia, in the southern hemisphere
spring
. The event is organised by ESF Events, managed and owned by Frederic Dasse and French
kitesurfer
Sebastien Cattelan, and is observed by the World Sailing Speed Record Council
(WSSRC) and the International Sailing Federation
(ISAF).
The site was first brought to international attention by Sebastien Cattelan in 2004, who was introduced to it by some Namibian sailors that windsurfed there.
by windsurfer Finian Maynard
.
The women's outright speed sailing record was also broken during this event, by South Africa
n kitesurfer Sjoukje Bredenkamp, who improved her own previous world record to 45.20 knots (83.71 km/h).
Earlier in the event, on September 19, kitesurfer Robert Douglas
(USA) made a 49.84 knots (92.30 km/h) run, becoming the first kitesurfer to establish an outright speed sailing world record – held until that date only by sailboats or windsurfers. However, the international sailing community changed its definition of sailing so that kitesurfing is no longer sailing. Douglas also became the world's third over-50 knots (98 km/h) sailor,
when on September 8 he made a 50.54 knots (93.60 km/h) run.
Alexandre Caizergues (F-One) set a new world kiteboard speed record of 50.98 knots (94.4 km/h), just 0.38 knot (0.744739199404209 km/h) shy of the current outright speed sailing record set by sailboat l’Hydroptère in October 2009.
Rob Douglas (Cabrinha) set a new USA outright speed sailing record of 50.95 knots (99.9 km/h), and his colleague in the North American Speed Sailing Project, Melissa Gil (Cabrinha) set a new USA woman’s national speed record of 38 knots (74.5 km/h). Jernej Privsek (Jägermeister) upped the Slovenian outright speed sailing record he set last year to 44.59 knots (87.4 km/h), and Felipe Johannpeter (Genetrix) established a new Brazil outright speed record of 42.14 knots (82.6 km/h). All records still to be ratified by the WSSRC.
2009 Lüderitz Speed Challenge Records
Top Results for 2009 Lüderitz Speed Challenge
Speed sailing
Speed sailing is the art of sailing a craft as fast as possible over a predetermined route, and having its overall or peak speed recorded and accredited by a regulatory body. The term usually refers to sailing on water, even though sailing on land and ice is progressively faster because of the...
event, held since 2007 in Lüderitz
Lüderitz
Lüderitz is a harbour town in south-west Namibia, lying on one of the least hospitable coasts in Africa. It is a port developed around Robert Harbour and Shark Island.- Overview :...
, Namibia, in the southern hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
spring
Spring (season)
Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition period between winter and summer. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. The specific definition of the exact timing of "spring" varies according to local climate, cultures and...
. The event is organised by ESF Events, managed and owned by Frederic Dasse and French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
kitesurfer
Kitesurfing
Kitesurfing or Kiteboarding is an adventure surface water sport that has been described as combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. Kitesurfing harnesses the power of the wind to propel a rider across the water on a small surfboard or a...
Sebastien Cattelan, and is observed by the World Sailing Speed Record Council
World Sailing Speed Record Council
The World Sailing Speed Record Council, founded in 1972, is the body authorized by the International Sailing Federation to confirm speed records of sailing crafts on water . In the early years the council only dealt with claims of speed records on a one-way leg of 500 metres...
(WSSRC) and the International Sailing Federation
International Sailing Federation
The International Sailing Federation is recognised by the International Olympic Committee as the world governing body for the sport of sailing....
(ISAF).
The site
The event is held at the southern end of the 1x7 km lagoon west of Lüderitz, 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 sailing course. In the first, 2007 edition of the event, participants sailed over a curved course. For the second edition, in 2008, a straight course was created by digging along the shore, providing also a very uniform water depth over the entire run. Performance was further enhanced by placing sandbags upwind of the run, and by using temporary wood “chop killers” that reduce the chop caused by the Lüderitz 40 knots (78.4 km/h) to 50 knots (98 km/h) winds. The total course length is 800m, including the launching and slow-down phases, before and after the 500m official WSSRC distance.The site was first brought to international attention by Sebastien Cattelan in 2004, who was introduced to it by some Namibian sailors that windsurfed there.
2007
The first Speed Challenge event was held in 2007, in which French kitesurfer Alex Caizergues made the best 500m run at 47.92 knots – only 0.78 knots (1.5 km/h) short of the then-current 48.7 knots (95.4 km/h) world record, set in 2005 on The CanalThe Canal
The Saintes Maries de la Mer Speed Canal, known to windsurfers as The Canal, is a man-made trench near the French Mediterranean coastal town Saintes Maries de la Mer, built especially for speed record breaking sailing by windsurfers....
by windsurfer Finian Maynard
Finian Maynard
Finian Maynard is a six-time speed windsurfing world champion and held the absolute 500m sailing speed record for sailing vessels from late 2004 until early 2008....
.
2008
The second event saw the first ever over-50 knots (98 km/h) outright speed sailing record, when on October 3 Sebastien Cattelan made 50.26 knots (93.08 km/h), only to lose the title one day later to Alex Caizergues at 50.57 knots (93.66 km/h). This achievement marked the end of the race of the speed sailing world to cross the 50 knots (98 km/h) mark, between kitesurfers, windsurfers and sailboats, and opened the race towards the next "mythical frontier" of 100 km/h.The women's outright speed sailing record was also broken during this event, by South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n kitesurfer Sjoukje Bredenkamp, who improved her own previous world record to 45.20 knots (83.71 km/h).
Earlier in the event, on September 19, kitesurfer Robert Douglas
Robert Douglas
Robert Douglas may refer to:*Robert Douglas , minister in the Church of Scotland*Robert Douglas, Count of Skenninge, , Scottish-born field-marshal in the Swedish army*Robert Douglas , , Scottish prelate...
(USA) made a 49.84 knots (92.30 km/h) run, becoming the first kitesurfer to establish an outright speed sailing world record – held until that date only by sailboats or windsurfers. However, the international sailing community changed its definition of sailing so that kitesurfing is no longer sailing. Douglas also became the world's third over-50 knots (98 km/h) sailor,
when on September 8 he made a 50.54 knots (93.60 km/h) run.
2009
The 2009 event saw a new world kitespeed record, new USA outright speed sailing record (men and women), new Slovenia, Brazil outright records. The ferocious winds that normally batter Lüderitz were a little tame in 2009, seldom exceeding 35 knots (65 km/h), but improved equipment, more training and better technique saw the kiteboard sailors extract ever faster times in lighter winds, exceeding those set last year in vastly stronger conditions.Alexandre Caizergues (F-One) set a new world kiteboard speed record of 50.98 knots (94.4 km/h), just 0.38 knot (0.744739199404209 km/h) shy of the current outright speed sailing record set by sailboat l’Hydroptère in October 2009.
Rob Douglas (Cabrinha) set a new USA outright speed sailing record of 50.95 knots (99.9 km/h), and his colleague in the North American Speed Sailing Project, Melissa Gil (Cabrinha) set a new USA woman’s national speed record of 38 knots (74.5 km/h). Jernej Privsek (Jägermeister) upped the Slovenian outright speed sailing record he set last year to 44.59 knots (87.4 km/h), and Felipe Johannpeter (Genetrix) established a new Brazil outright speed record of 42.14 knots (82.6 km/h). All records still to be ratified by the WSSRC.
2009 Lüderitz Speed Challenge Records
- Alex Caizergues (F-One) – World kiteboard speed record: 50.98 knots (99.9 km/h)
- Rob Douglas (Cabrinha) – USA outright speed sailing record: 50.95 knots (99.9 km/h)
- Jernej Privsek (Jägermeister) – Slovenian outright speed sailing record: 44.59 knots (87.4 km/h)
- Felipe Johannpeter (Genetrix) – Brazil outright speed record: 42.14 knots (82.6 km/h)
- Melissa Gil (Cabrinha) – USA woman’s national speed record: 38 knots (74.5 km/h)
Top Results for 2009 Lüderitz Speed Challenge
| Speed (knots) | Speed (km/h) | Name | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50.98 | 94.41 | Alex Caizergues | France |
| 50.95 | 94.36 | Robert Douglas | USA |
| 49.51 | 91.69 | Sebastien Cattelan | France |
2010
Top Results for 2010 Lüderitz Speed Challenge| Speed (knots) | Speed (km/h) | Name | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55.65 | 103.06 | Robert Douglas | USA |
| 55.49 | 102.77 | Sebastien Cattelan | France |
| 54.93 | 101.73 | Alex Caizergues | France |
External links
- Official Site
- Speedkiting.org
- Map, Current Wind Speed & 6 Day Wind Forecast
- Exact location of the Luderitz Speed Strip on BlooSeeBlooseeBlooSee is a social network and an ocean web mapping site where sailors, divers, surfers and other sea lovers geotag and share information and knowledge about the oceans. BlooSee is built in Python and uses the Google Maps API.BlooSee is owned by BlooSee, Inc...
- GPS Kitesurfing