Paul Larsen & Vestas Sail Rocket 2 - Smashing the Sailing World Speed Record - An Inside Look 

Not exactly sailing but the record is well deserved.

Ditch the Cameras! MOAR SPEED!

Ian Edmonds this is one up from foils... If you look carefully you can see that the sail gets lifted out of the water by a wing. The boat makes use of ground effect to essentially fly. Crazy really but its more a plane that a boat.

Hal you do not steer it, it can only sail at a certain angle from the wind

Pretty darn close. You begin by trimming your sail(s) to the true wind. As your speed increases, your apparent wind shifts forward. Your apparent wind, the wind that actually drives your sails, is the resultant vector of the true wind and the wind created by your forward motion. With low friction ( foiling, ice ) sailcraft, this wind is stronger than the true wind. for the ultimate in low friction sailcraft, read about ice boats.

It wouldn't.

poor functionality

One other person mentioned it's actually of one of the most memorable books I read half a century ago : Bernard Smith , www.amazon.com/40-knot-Sailboat-B-Smith/dp/B0000EGOZD , 1963 . But they have beaten Smith's dream by 15 [ make that 25 ] knots -- probably partly due to today's materials . Smith was influenced by Pacific islanders who sailed cross-wind with asymmetric 1 outrigger canoes . It's a good question whether the Vesta boat can be reversed for the opposite tack .

NeonsStyle hi NeonsStyle, and thanks for the great question. Aside from the sheer thirst for speed much like in the automotive industry this sort of record helps to push the tech development curve upwards. Design, Materials, construction methods,and then sailing these powerful machines are part of the entire R&D process. The progress made on these smaller vessels at lower costs paves the way for both the bigger pro sailing projects as well as for the industry as a whole. Take for example foiling. The tech is actually ancient (1907 on powerboats!), and in sailing it was developed well before America's Cup 35 where it received worldwide attention. This has now become a true revolution and speed is not the only objective, another by-product is reduced consumption/emissions, and simply because sailing can become more efficient than turning the engine on. Resarchers and designers are already working on sailing cargo ships, so it's 'back to the future', and it can become a much more sustainable one. Fair winds from Nautical Channel!

Nautical Channel Thanks for the reply. I was more thinking in monetary terms, ie patents etc. As the tech advances are clearly obvious, just as it is in aviation and space tech. However thanks for the reply.

That's not another benefit, that's a primary benefit, not secondary and it's the secondary that I'm interested in.

+NeonsStyle Aside from winning a new world record title, it helps develop new technologies to use beter the clean and endless energies provided for free (for now) from earth

+NeonsStyle the question is irrelevant perhaps. why ask it? does there have to be some meaning in it that you approve of? why do men climbmountains? why do the go the the poles? why do fathers kiss their baby each night?

I would say more the Dragster ;)

Agreed. I don't understand the physics of it though. The craft is sailing faster than the wind multiple times over.

look up 'apparent wind' Tim , that get's added ;)

Ah I see. It is kind of like the Theory of Relativity.

We're not experts on that for sure. ;) But we're glad you found the answer! Fair winds!

charles raymond Well, there is the kilometer, then there is the mile, and there is the knot. All three are international, aknowledged, and used. There is no such thing, nowadays as an American mile. But, being French speaking, of course you want to show off the kilometer.

+Christopher Walker at the beginning of the clip they say it's averaging 25 knots, gusting to 29, and lows of 22.

These are the joys of physics and aerodynamics. These boats, like all sailing stuff (kites etc) dont go downwind, but perpendicular to the wind. Like kitesurfing, you are way faster than the wind itself (would you surf WITH the wind), the kite would fall down. Same principle. There are nice graphics if you google, they explain it much better than me with my shitty english^^

Soundcomplex Your apparent wind, the wind that actually drives your sails, is a vector of the true wind and the wind created by your forward motion. for the ultimate in low friction sailcraft, read about ice boats.

Since he has a wingsail it basicaly just gets more and more force in the sail the faster he goes. At the fastest speeds the wind he gets comes basically striaght ahead of him because of his forward motion. Works a little like a airplane. The faster the wind goes in the wing (the more speed) the more power the wing generates. The true problem why he doesnt go faster is because og the wind resistence (is that the right word?), the waves and the fact that contact with water brakes you like a bitch :)

No, not MPH. 68 knots! That's around 80 MPH!!!!!

That comment doesn't make any...ANY... sense at all...like...what have you've been smoking?

No, it is to protect for head injurie.

tension relaxation meditation

relaxation/tension/meditation exercises

They were in the ocean off the coast of Africa. How is that "Artificial"?

h

Of course it's artificial: Luderitz is a particularly well sheltered spot. No waves at all, strong and consistent wind, shallow water

no waves, on one tack, and with vertical lift from the sail

So why didn't L"Hydroptere sail in the same place? Couldn't take that long to get there in that boat.

Put that iceboat in the water.

It is on water in a solid form

Water is the liquid form. Water in solid form is called ice.

The point was then and now, a one way boat does not return does it?

Water seems damn solid if you hit it at 70MPH !