SimonH said...
It really looks the dogs round things though. To hijack the thread i think that 50 knot winds are not needed for record runs. A solid 40 would do it.
Farrels record run at the trench was all over the place in his own words. He was unhooked in the last 200 metres. Also shows how good a sailor Antoine is.
Oh there is no doubt about that here. For example, Mal Wright has gone 45 kts plus in less than 30 knots of wind at Sandy Point and Chris Lockwood has done 50 knots peak in no more than a solid 40 knots, probably less.....
I always get a bit twitchy when people start taking about sailing in 50 knots of wind. I only believe it when I actually witness it with my own eyes and see the wind gauge at the same time on the same beach with my own eyes. Despite some incredible days at Sandy Point when there were winds actually measured in excess of 50 knots
at times, and even after many people have attempted to sail during those times, I really don't think I have actually seen anyone succeed in actually sailing in a solid 50 knots of wind. Most talk of windsurfing in 50 knots is total crap, or at best there was the odd gust on a hill nearby that reached that speed for a few seconds and the actual on the water wind speed average was much lower. A
true, solid 40 knots would be more than enough wind for a world record if all the other requirements, especially flat water with the right wind angle come together. Anything much more than a solid 40 knots will hamper more than help.