Vestas Sailrocket - Team happy with steady run

9:15 PM Tue 6 Oct 2009 GMT

'Vestas Sailrocket - Final World Record attempt 4 - Run 1' Vestas Sailrocket

The UK based Vestas Sailrocket team are to return to Walvis Bay in Namibia for one more assault on the outright speed sailing record. The 28 day record period will commence on the 2nd of October.

This will be the final record attempt for this wonderful boat. It has endured a long and eventful life to reach its current level of performance and its structure bears the scars of many a hard earned lesson. This is truly a unique and significant craft which has shown the potential of a radical concept for achieving both stability and efficiency in high speed sailing craft. The team, together with the sponsors and supporters have shared a fascinating journey but their ultimate objective, to be the outright fastest in the world, remains.

Latest news from Paul Larsen:

Righto, here we go again. Outside it has all the makings of a good day... but it is a great day that we seek. The forecast is the same as yesterdays but we are hoping that it is a bit steadier... and up a few knots. The best place to wait is fully 'kitted' up over at speed-spot.

I'm taking no chances and have doubled the size of the launch anchor which Vestas Sailrocket strains against once the guy holding the nose into the wind let's go as we commence a run. I've also taken on another guy to help with the launch. We are just as likely to damage the boat in a launch as sailing. Handling this boat can be a real 'ball-ache' on a windy day. Some times when she gets out of hand she can take off, dragging a pretty long anchor behind her, and head straight up the beach. When it does this it dredges the main foil through the sand. We have put a lot of effort into the finish on the main foil and I don't want to scratch it... especially before a big run. It needs to be pretty immaculate at the speeds we are trying to achieve.

Simon, todays new guy, has just turned up. I wonder what he will see today?

Tomorrow's forecast is still looking pretty full-on... but if today pans out... we'll be waiting.

Cheers, Paul.

Vestas Sailrocket - Final World Record attempt 4 - Run 1 - Vestas Sailrocket

Vestas Sailrocket Shake down Run

Conditions were good for Vestas Sailrocket. The forecast was 17-23 kn, and it came true. Vestas Sailrocket did a steady run down the flat course. The Team was very happy with all the systems onboard. We tried to do a second run but the lows were down to 17kn and the highs were only 20's. Now we need a bit more wind fingers crossed for the next forecast.

Helena.

Website: click here

Vestas Sailrocket - Final World Record attempt 4 - Run 1 - Vestas Sailrocket

by Vestas Sailrocket team/Paul Larsen

Click on thumbnails to enlarge and find more photos:

Newsfeed supplied by

#News #Sailing

Sailing

Reefing Early: Shorten Sail Before You Must

Sailing

Heave-To: Sailing's Emergency Pause Button

Sailing

Heaving To: Park the Boat in a Blow

Sailing

Overnight at Anchor: Setting Up Right

Sailing

The Figure-8: Return to a Person Overboard

Sailing

VHF Radio on the Water: Channels and Calls

Sailing

Read the Wind: Judge Its Force Without a Gauge

Nearby
Tunnack, TAS	9 kn W	10°
Campania, TAS	8 kn WSW	14°
Mount Wellington, TAS	31 kn WSW	3°
Bushy Park, TAS	8 kn WSW	13°
Windiest in Australia
Maatsuyker Island, TAS	35 kn NW	11°
Most Windless in Australia
Cerberus, VIC	Calm	12°
Hottest in Australia
Fitzroy Crossing, WA	7 kn SW	35°
Coldest in Australia
Mount Wellington, TAS	31 kn WSW	3°
Wettest in Australia
Pukatja, SA	40.2 mm

Vestas Sailrocket - Team happy with steady run

Reefing: Read the Signs, Act Early

The Beaufort Scale: How We Learned to Rank Wind

Reefing Early: Shorten Sail Before It's Too Late

Live Weather

Nearby

Windiest in Australia

Most Windless in Australia

Hottest in Australia

Coldest in Australia

Wettest in Australia

Sailing Articles

Buy & Sell

2015 Fanatic Free Wave 96

2025 Duotone Duotone Sky Style Sls 75L

2021 Quatro Pyramid

2024 Foil Drive Foil Drive Assist Max Gen 2 Kit (Excludi

Severne R8

Cloud 9 High Modulus + Carbon Mast 80Cm

2022 Fanatic Pro Wave

Know before you go

Download the Seabreeze app for iOS or Android.

Weather

Activities

About

Other

Support