Please select your home edition
Edition
Rolly Tasker Sails 2023 LEADERBOARD

New World Speed Record- Macquarie Innovation breaks 50 - hits 54 knots

by Sail-World.com on 28 Mar 2009
Macquarie Innovation hits 54 knots on 26 March 2009 Steb Fisher Photo www.steb.com.au

Australian sailors Simon McKeon and Tim Daddo who made history in 1993 with the Lindsay Cunningham designed Yellow Pages, leapt back into the history books Thursday night when Macquarie Innovation powered down the Sandy Point speed course near Wilsons Promontory in Victoria, at an average speed of 50.43 knots.

In October 1993 McKeon and Daddo, in this same location, set a 500-metre world record of 46.52 knots that lasted of 11 years.

In 1994 they started on the build of the boat that has now become Macquarie Innovation. Cunningham came up with a new design but it was a long time in the build and it was 2001 before they got back to serious campaigning. But since 2001, the team has been plagued by light wind conditions for much of the time.

In November 2008, McKeon and Daddo did a 500-metre run at 48.14 knots, claiming a class ‘C’ world speed record.

Now in March of 2009, they have lifted their own ‘C’ class record and come within a whisker of breaking the outright record of 50.57 knots, now in the hands of kite boarder Alexandre Caizergues.

This morning co-pilot Tim Daddo saild ‘we created a little piece of yachting history on Thursday night.

‘During that run we hit a peak speed of over 100 km/hr (54 knots) and while the claimed average speed, (50.43) which is about to be sent for ratification, will be reduced to 50.08 knots due to the tidal allowance, we have sailed our craft in excess of 50 knots.

'We will be making a claim for a new class ‘C’ record, which will be just shy of the current outright world record.

‘It is the culmination of over 15 years of work by the team and their loyal group of supporters.’

Prior to this speed series Daddo commented to Sail-World about the team’s long history, which stretches back to the Little America’s Cup in the late 1980's.

‘It’s been a long road. We had a fairly significant crash with Yellow Pages in February 1993, before setting the record in October. We were lucky … it all tends to happen very quickly and you can’t be exactly one hundred percent sure of what caused it.

‘But we suspected in that run that we were hitting speeds of around 54-56 knots, which was orders of magnitude higher than we ever expected to go with that boat.

‘And Yellow Pages literally took off and left the water. Later we hit the startline in Yellow Pages at a recorded 54 knots, so we always knew there was no 'sound barrier' vibration at that is what has kept us going all these years, we knew we could do it.

‘So some of the changes that went into our Macquarie Innovation were solely trying to address control issues, as well as making the thing a bit faster all up.

‘The configuration of the boats, in respect to Yellow Pages and Macquarie Innovation, is essentially the same.

‘In recent times we’ve just not been able to get consistent winds to allow us to really give the record a shove, so the last two programs with Macquarie Innovation we’ve done quite a lot of work on what I loosely refer to as ‘energy conservation’ within the boat. In terms of wind, it was becoming painfully obvious that were not going to regularly get 20 knots.

‘We often seem to get this 15 to 18 knot type wind. We’ve done a lot of work on trying to reduce some of the energy loses off the boat. So stiffening up hulls, changing the wing geometry a bit, changing the internal structure of the wing … just to make sure we aren’t giving away stuff that we don’t need to. So they were actually big changes that we made. Well I won’t say big changes because the boat doesn’t look any different to how it did two years ago, but suitable construction changes that have been aimed squarely at trying to improve our efficiency.‘

Thursday’s March 27th run was conducted in speeds of 22-24 knots and all those changes to both the control surfaces and the boat’s greater rigidity and therefore efficiency, paid off.

Simon McKeon chimed in ‘On Thurday night the wind angle was not ideal at all, we had 225 degrees, when the ideal is 210 so we were squarer that w'ed have liked but the wind had plenty of grunt and that compensated. If the wind had been round at 210, we might have had another two knots.'

Daddo said 'But to be honest it was embarassingly easy, we've always thought that once we hit 100km (54 knots), top speed is not too far away and cavitation is going to be the issue.

'But on this run everything was smooth.

‘The reason we think we have a top end limit at 58 knots, is as a result of some testing that we have done on our underwater foils and their particular design.

‘We think they will suffer the phenomena of cavitations, which is where the water state changes from a liquid to a gas.

‘We believe that might be the thing that brings the boat unstuck, rather than the wind not having enough power and all that stuff.

‘We still think Macquarie Innovation will suffer that fate around 57 knots. That in itself isn’t the end of the world, but might start to resemble such around 58 knots.

‘During the run we don't have time to look at speed data, we have way too much on our plate, but we actually have a 54 knots over speed alarm set into the cockpit and that went off. Looking at the data, for over half of the run we were doing 52 knots plus.’

Now for a few quiet little drinks, waiting for more south westerlies.

Simon McKeon had the last word. 'We waited 15 years for that wind, hope we don't have to wait more than a few weeks again.'

Sail-World.com has recorded detailed interviews with both Simon McKeon and Tim Daddo, which we will run during the next few weeks.

Selden 2020 - FOOTERVetus-Maxwell 2021 v2 FOOTERSea Sure 2025

Related Articles

Dragon Worlds at Vilamoura overall
NONO wins Corinthian division, and FEVER the Masters title After an incredible week of high-stakes competition and unforgettable on-and-off- water moments, the Dragon World Championship by Tivoli Hotels & Resorts wrapped
Posted on 17 May
Littlewood claims bronze in ILCA7 Worlds
It was a tale of two winds that decided the World Champions Zac Littlewood has claimed a bronze medal at the ILCA 7 World Championships in Qingdao, China, after an intense and unpredictable week of racing.
Posted on 17 May
44Cup Porto Cervo day 3
Team Nika clings on going into final day After yesterday's stomach churning washing machine of a day, the Costa Smeralda turned the glamour conditions back on again for day three of the 44Cup Porto Cervo, organised by the RC44 class and the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.
Posted on 17 May
ILCA 6 Women's and ILCA 7 Men's Worlds overall
The northern wind arrives - Qingdao's final challenge Today marks the final day of the 2025 ILCA World Championships. While the champions have yet to be crowned, Qingdao's signature northern wind has already unfurled the curtain on the ultimate showdown.
Posted on 17 May
2026 Junior Worlds set for Medemblik, Netherlands
A famous and beautiful sailing venue with a deep-rooted legacy in Olympic-class racing The International 49er and Nacra 17 Class Association proudly announces that the 2026 Junior World Championships for the 49er, 49erFX, and Nacra 17 classes will take place in Medemblik, Netherlands, from July 19 to 26th, 2026.
Posted on 17 May
Dalton claims Alinghi are still recruiting
Emirates Team NZ CEO claims the Swiss America's Cup team Alinghi are still actively recruiting. In the course of a TV interview following the announcement of the venue for the 38th America's Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand CEO claimed that the Swiss America's Cup team Alinghi, were still actively recruiting, despite being in an "orderly wind-down".
Posted on 17 May
May 2025 edition of FINNFARE published
In a new look magazine, the focus is on original feature length content In a new look magazine, the focus is on original feature length content, illustrated with the usual extensive photos.
Posted on 17 May
Bulwarks and Bulldust – watch Episode Two
Three time Jane Tate Memorial Trophy winner, Annika Thomson, talks racing and rubbish... Episode Two of Bukwarks and Bulldust featuring Annika Thomson from Ocean Crusaders is now up and running. The three time Jane Tate Memorial Trophy winner talks about her favourite subjects - racing and rubbish...
Posted on 16 May
Victorian Sailing Centre opens at Geelong
This centerpiece of the revitalised waterfront will host local, national, international races Geelong has established itself as Victoria's premier sailing destination and training ground for the next generation of sailors with the official opening of the Victorian Sailing Centre thanks to the Allan Labor Government.
Posted on 16 May
TP52 Pallas Capital Gold Cup Finale preview
Local heroes put hat in the ring The Act 4 Finale of the 2025 Pallas Capital Gold cup will be sailed on Pittwater from Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club this weekend, including an addition to the fleet with a local team, led by Rear Commodore Peter Farrugia, putting their hat in the ring.
Posted on 16 May