On the 16/11/12 VESTAS Sailrocket 2 set out on it’s 13th run for this session Walvis Bay Namibia. In moderate conditions with around 25 knots of wind average… VSR2 smashed the previous Outright world record by the biggest margin in the records history*. Paul larsen averaged 59.23 knots over the record 500 meter course and peaked at over 63 knots. The waters of Walvis Bay became speed sailing holy turf and the home of the Outright record for the first time. This represents the culmination of 10 years hard work. The team promise it still represents the beginning of this boats potential. Africa turned on a spectacular setting and the flamingoes are just the icing. You couldn’t make that stuff up. Happy days.
There certainly aren’t many 11 year olds that can call themselves a World Champion. After all the hard work and training at Lake Tinaroo North Queensland, Kristen Wadley has grabbed her first world sailing title at the Miami Yacht Club USA. Kristen took out the O’pen Bic World Cup Championship’s Under 13 Girl’s Division earlier this month.
Her father and coach, Roger Wadley said he could not be any prouder of his daughter. ‘It was so emotionally draining for me to watch her and see her  … More
A boat is once again the fastest craft under sail! Paul Larsen has broken the speed sailing record* on the boat known as Sailrocket, ripping the title from the kiteboarders. Skirting the edge of disaster on Walvis Bay in Namibia, the Australian speed demon has proven his craft, his persistence, and his bravery as he pushed his high tech boat and sailing itself to the upper limits. Paul once told YachtPals that to break records “every now and then you have to take big jumps, and just suck it and see what happens.” Well, he proved himself right this week as he claimed the outright speed sailing record for himself, breaking American kitesurfer Rob Douglas’ 500 meter record by a whopping 3.58 knots!
The Sailrocket team is still going over the data, but the preliminary* stats are  … More
With conditions on the test track at Walvis Bay in Namibia near perfect for the attempt, Weymouth based sailor Paul Larsen and his Vestas SailRocket 2 team, who have been working on breaking the record for almost a decade having seen it rise by nine knots, was confident of success having earlier in the week averaged 54.08 knots down the 500m course.
This beat the previous ‘boats’ record of 51.36 knots set by Alain Thebault’s team on L’Hydroptère in 2009 but was still some way short of the overall sailing speed record of 55.65 knots, set two years ago in Luderitz by American kite-boarder Rob Douglas  … More