X
Innovation

Sailboat-plane hybrid hopes to break world speed sailing record

The Vestas Sailrocket 2, a combination of sailboat and airplane, hopes to hit 60 knots this year, breaking the world speed sailing record.
Written by Channtal Fleischfresser, Contributor

Is it a boat? Is it a plane? Well, both, actually. The Vestas Sailrocket 2 was built as a boat/plane hybrid by a team of naval architects, engineers and sailors. It was constructed in England and launched early in 2011. Its creators hope that this year it will hit 60 knots, breaking the world speed sailing record.

"Everything above the water is an aeroplane and everything below the water behaves just like a boat," said sailor Paul Larsen. "A large part of this boat is flying, it's supported by aerodynamics," he said. "When it's going at high speed, it's like a well-built paper airplane."

Any vessel may attempt to break the record as long as it involves wind and water and at least one person is on board. The current world record is held by an American kite surfer, Rob Douglas, who hit 55.65 knots in 2010. While the Vestas team did hold the world record a few years ago, they have faced stiff competition from wind surfers recently.

The team's most recent effort took place in Walvis Bay in Namibia, where wind conditions proved optimal for the Sailrocket. In that attempt, they only hit 51 knots, but Larsen and his team are confident that with a few adjustments they will be able to hit their goal of 60 knots.

Skip to 2:30 of the video below to see the Sailrocket 2 in action:

Photo: Sailrocket

via [CNN Tech]

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com

Editorial standards