Sailrocket 10th Anniversary. Out she comes and good to go!
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- Опубліковано 8 жов 2022
- 2022 will mark the 10th anniversary of Sailrocket 2's still current outright world speed sailing record.
The team figured this was something worth celebrating... and that the boat itself should attend. Although the actual records were broken in November in 2012, it seemed only right to get Sailrocket 2 out of her 40' shipping container a little earlier and rig her up during the 50th anniversary of Weymouth Speed Week (starting October 15th).
Sailrocket 2 has never sailed anywhere else but In Namibia... and not since the day she set her last, fastest and still current record (November 24th, 2012). Very few people have actually seen this boat in action including many members of her own team. The Portland Harbour course is too short and crowded for her to be sailed at her full potential so the aim is simply to try and get her on the water to showcase what is involved in sailing her in a safe manner down the course.
It remains unclear whether the team will actually be able to go sailing on the much busier and more restricted Portland Harbour. Sailrocket also needs very specific weather conditions to operate in. Many stars need to align to actually allow her to sail down the course but she is being fully prepared to do so if such an opportunity does arise. Either way, Sailrocket 2 and the team will be on standby for sailing in front of the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy from the 15th until the 17th of October.
History info:
On the 24th of November 2012, Walvis Bay Namibia. On the 3rd run of the day, Australian Paul Larsen piloted the UK designed and built Vestas Sailrocket 2 to a new Outright speed sailing World record of 65.45 knots average over the 500 metre course. During the run VSR2 hit a peak speed of 68.33 knots (78.6 mph). The average wind speed was 27 knots. This performance represented the culmination of over 11 years of work.The concept had been proven and the physical "limits" (imposed by the phenomenon of cavitation) had been overcome. Sailing had reached its supersonic era. To date no other boat has come close.