New World Speed Record as windsurfers close on the Magic 50

by Al Constable on 12 Apr 2005 Last November the 11-year world sailing speed record of Australia's Yellow Pages was broken by windsurfer Finian Maynard (BVI) with a time of 46.82 knots.

Now it seems the bar has risen almost another two knots higher; the as yet unratified claim is now 48.70 knots

The new speed record was set once more on the purpose built wind surfing canal at Saintes Maries de la Mer in France.

Maynard has been the driving force behind the building of the canal. He was the speed event organiser last November and again this weekend.

Yesterday he set a new world speed record as the Mistral wind delivered the power for another blistering 500 metre run.

John Reed from the WSSR Council has advised of two new claims on both the Outright World Sailing Speed Record and the Women's Outright Record.

The claims, subject to WSSR Ratification are:

Sunday April 10th: at St Maries de la Mer, Finian Maynard, BVI, 48.70 kts.

Sunday April 10th: at St Maries de la Mer, Karine Jaggi, SWI, 41.25 kts

There is now only a tiny 1.3 knots between Maynard and the Magic 50. although its likely he breached that figure while setting the new record.

Maynard was not carrying a GPS unit, so his maximum speed is unknown, but given the surging wind and the overall calculated speed, it is likely that he breached the magic 50 knot barrier
during his 20 second run, if only for a few seconds.

The wind for Jaggi’s Womens record was reported as a steady 35 knots for the entire run. During Maynard’s run, the wind varied from 40 to 45 knots; much less than when the records were set back in November 2004.

The wind angle on the Canal was exactly 126 degrees for both records.

Francesco D’Urso has set a new Italian record with a time of 39.56 knots.

Babethe Coquelle holds the Outright Women’s Record with a speed set over ten years ago in July 1993 in Tarifa of 40.05 knots.

www.mastersofspeed.com