Lüderitz Speed Challenge
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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
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,[1][2] and by using temporary wood “chop killers” that reduce the chop caused by the Lüderitz 40 knots (74 km/h) to 50 knots (93 km/h) winds.[3] 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,[4] who was introduced to it by some Namibian sailors that windsurfed there.
Event history
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[5] – only 0.78 knots (1.44 km/h) short of the then-current 48.70 knots (90.19 km/h) world record, set in 2005 on The Canal by windsurfer Finian Maynard.
2008
The second event saw the first ever over-50 knots (93 km/h) outright speed sailing record, when on October 3 Sebastien Cattelan made 50.26 knots (93.08 km/h),[6] 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 (93 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 African 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,[7] 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 (93 km/h) sailor, when on September 8 he made a 50.54 knots (93.60 km/h) run.[8]
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 knots (0.70 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 (94.36 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 38.00 knots (70.38 km/h). Jernej Privsek (Jägermeister) upped the Slovenian outright speed sailing record he set last year to 44.59 knots (82.58 km/h), and Felipe Johannpeter (Genetrix) established a new Brazil outright speed record of 42.14 knots (78.04 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 (94.41 km/h)
- Rob Douglas (Cabrinha) – USA outright speed sailing record: 50.95 knots (94.36 km/h)
- Jernej Privsek (Jägermeister) – Slovenian outright speed sailing record: 44.59 knots (82.58 km/h)
- Felipe Johannpeter (Genetrix) – Brazil outright speed record: 42.14 knots (78.04 km/h)
- Melissa Gil (Cabrinha) – USA woman’s national speed record: 38.00 knots (70.38 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 |
References
- ^ "World's best at Luderitz Speed Challenge | Sailing News". Seabreeze.com.au. 2008-10-13. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ email correspondence with Dasse
- ^ http://www.sail-world.com/europe/index.cfmSEID=0&Nid=48741&SRCID=0&ntid=0&tickeruid=0&tickerCID=0
- ^ Naish Africa. "Luderitz Speed Challenge". Luderitz-speed.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
- ^ "BYM Sailing & Sports News". Bymnews.com. 2008-10-03. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
- ^ [2][dead link]
- ^ [3][dead link]