SP80 kiteboat reaches a peak speed of over 58 knots
by SP80 27 May 20:04 AEST
27 May 2025
SP80 kiteboat reaches a peak speed of over 58 knots © Guillaume Fischer
The SP80 kiteboat has reached a top speed of over 58 knots, or 108 km/h. This new personal best makes SP80 the second fastest sailboat ever recorded, behind Vestas Sailrocket II and its 68.01-knot top speed.
While peak speeds are not used for official world record certification, this performance confirms the boat's potential: SP80 is now faster than the most advanced sailboats in the world, from the AC75s of the America's Cup to the F50s on the SailGP circuit.
After several weeks of testing, with speeds peaking around 50 knots, the team analyzed on-water data and returned to the shipyard in early May for a round of optimizations. The improvements paid off as soon as sailing resumed on May 20: in just two outings, the boat shattered its previous personnal best of 52 knots, reaching 58.261 knots (108 km/h, 67 mph).
This performance exceeds the top speeds recorded by the world's fastest racing sailboats: 55.6 knots for the AC75s of the America's Cup, and 55.06 knots for the F50s on the SailGP circuit.
This progress is no accident—the team has since logged multiple runs between 55 and 58 knots, sometimes in less-than-ideal wind conditions.
"This is a major milestone for the entire team," said Mayeul van den Broek, SP80 pilot. "Very few sailboats in history have broken the 100 km/h barrier, and we're now tangibly closing in on our ultimate goal. What's especially encouraging is being able to repeat those speeds multiple times throughout the week. It confirms not only the boat's reliability, but also its capacity to go even faster. From here, the work continues: analyzing the data on land, and refining our handling on the water as soon as the wind allows."
The short-term objective for SP80 is clear: hold these speeds over 500 meters, as only the average speed over this distance is eligible for official world record certification.
"We know the boat has the potential—now it's up to us to become more precise in our handling" explained Benoît Gaudiot, kite pilot. "We're discovering how the boat behaves beyond 100 km/h and learning to control it. This week, we came close several times to averaging 50 knots over 500 meters. It's naturally a bit frustrating to end the week at 48.6, but we know it's only a matter of time. Every run helps us improve, and our coordination with Mayeul is sharpening with each outing."
With an average of 48.645 knots (90 km/h) over 500 meters, the team is now within reach of official records that could be certified by the WSSRC (World Sailing Speed Record Council).
The first targets are category records, including:
- 50.07 knots average - Macquarie Innovation (2009), world record in Category C (sail area between 21 and 27 m2)
- 51.36 knots average - l'Hydroptère (2009), world record in Category D (sail area over 27 m2)
Both of these benchmarks could fall in the coming weeks, allowing SP80 to officially add its name to the list of world sailing speed record holders.
The team's ultimate ambition remains unchanged: to break the absolute world speed sailing record set by Paul Larsen aboard Vestas Sailrocket II, with an average of 65.45 knots over 500 meters.
That means SP80 still has 16 knots to gain, but the team is confident it can continue progressing. New trials are planned over the coming weeks, through the end of June, off the coast of Leucate and Port-La Nouvelle, in the Occitanie region of France.