(openPR) - It is largely a challenge full of history that has gained interest and passion for several years now.
This challenge takes us back in time, reminding us of the beginnings of aviation, where many inventors and “Gyro Gearlooses” competed with each other in furthering the progress of trying to make their wooden and canvas birds fly.
The setbacks were many and often severe, but these early trials have led to the A380 and the Ariane 5 of today.
The sailing speed record is above all a succession of contenders, a succession of cultures…

First of all, there were the speed prototypes such as the Crossbow 1 and 2 that reigned over the Weymouth speed competition in the 1970s.

Windsurfers then joined in this quest in 1986, with Pascal Maka, who established the new record of 38.86 knots.
It wasn’t until the appearance of the Australian speed prototype, the Yellow Pages, in 1993, that the windsurfers were dethroned by a run at 46.52 knots.

This record made history and was not beaten until 2004 by the windsurfer, Finian Maynard, on the Canal des Saintes Maries de la Mer, a canal especially constructed for this race.
In 2005, Finian managed to take this record to the present level, 48.7 knots.

48.7 knots…a number to remember, the number of the record to beat today!

The speed sailing record is also an official authority that oversees these attempts, as it has since the very beginning, the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC), with a number of rules that must be strictly observed. These rules were established to ensure the accurate comparison of all of the challengers and thus guarantee the legitimacy of the established records:

Certified measurement systems, a product of the world of topography. In this desperate race for pure speed, a mere one hundredth of a knot counts. At this level of speed, one hundredth of a knot represents 10 centimetres. The instruments of measurement must then have a guaranteed centimetric precision in order to ensure the exactitude of the result. For example, a GPS destined for the public has an imprecision of approximately 10 metres, which could lead to an error of 1 knot on the average speed.
Measurement of the average speed between two points, separated by 500 metres in a straight line. This is a projected measurement, which means that if the vessel follows a curve between these two points, it would have travelled over 500 metres, but that will not be taken into account. This is the way it has been from the beginning, when measurement systems did not make it possible to take into account the real distance travelled by a vessel.
A measurement of the sea current, so that it might be taken into account. If the speed of the current is over 1 knot, then the attempt is nullified. If the current is less than 1 knot, it is deducted in the calculation of speed.
Finally, and most importantly, the presence of an official from the WSSRC is required in order to confirm the validity of the attempt. The totality of the documents justifying the conformity of the measurements, the place and the type of speed vessel must be transmitted to the WSSRC so that the record may be officially recognized.
Thanks to these rules and the follow-up of the WSSRC, the speed record is today a trial of great maturity, which allows contenders from different worlds to meet, united by the same passion. We find the greatest international windsurfers trying to surpass themselves and beat their own records, kitesurfers, whose incredible progress in the last few years has shown their promise in attaining the absolute record.
The speed vessels, with Macquarie Innovation, the worthy successor of the Yellow Pages, and the Sailrocket team, are notable contenders.

Finally, there is l’Hydroptère, our flying prototype, whose target speed was 30 knots only in 1994. After attaining the world record in Category D with a run at 44.81 knots in April 2007, Alain Thébault and l’Hydroptère team now have set their sights on the highest step of the podium, the ultimate prize, becoming the fastest speed vessel on the planet.

L’Hydroptère is the only sailing craft capable of sailing offshore in rough seas and on runs at more than 45 knots during pure speed trials.

To reach this ultimate objective, l’Hydroptère is now totally designed for pure speed, leaving the open see navigation this year.

More info at www.speedworldcup.com and www.hydroptere.com

For more information about the Speed:World:Cup and the International Speed Windsurfing Class (ISWC), please contact
Speed:World:Cup
Tour Manager
Markus Schwendtner Consulting GmbH
Wilhelmstr. 25-30
13593 Berlin
Germany
Fon: +49 30 2461 6930
Fax: +49 1212 5 10 60 29 02
email:info@speedworldcup.com

For direct media inquiries, high resolution pictures and video feeds, please contact directly
email: media@speedworldcup.com

Speed:World:Cup is the officially sanctioned world tour of the International Speed Windsurfing Class.

The International Speed Windsurfing Class (ISWC) is the successor to the International Speedsurfing Association, which was administering the discipline of speed windsurfing in the years 2005-2007 on behalf of IFCA.

Effective May 2007, the ISWC has become an ISAF international class, and thus is entitled to control all aspects of the sport and award the official world champion titles in the discipline of speed windsurfing.

The ISWC is a riders association, which means that the riders themselves control the development of the sport. Beside the organizing people behind the scene, the executive committee is thus completed with the riders elected representatives. Its current and past members are the “crème de la crème” of Speedsurfing worldwide.

Elected chairman of the board is Peter Davis from Great Britain, enthusiastic rider and organizer of the famous Weymouth Speedweek. Board Member Markus Schwendtner from Germany already controlled the speed discipline business as ISA Tour Manager, and will continue this successful task for the ISWC now.

The ISWC events go from exceptional action in Namibia to more cosmopolitan spots such as Fuerteventura - the historical European Speedsurfing Capital, to huge shows of extreme conditions on small islands like Karpathos. In total, there are 200 to 300 members of the association at the same time, from places like Australia or Brasil, to Germany or Norway.

The Tour has to offer: dynamic, thrilling action, and bring the most visually dynamic aquatic sports to the audience, making it a perfect vehicle to locate sponsors logos; a sport that is set outdoors, healthy and environmental friendly.

Superb action on the water, combined with an interactive and exciting life experience, that creates an atmosphere where the fans and the media are face to face with the most radical and intense competition and the biggest personalities of the sport.
Besides being a sport of radical action, Windsurfing is a way of life. This type of life is formed by several elements to which many aspire, but that few can really achieve. Most of, if not even all of these aspects of the sport are represented in the Speedsurfing Grand Prix Tour.

The ISWC is entitled to hold World, Continental and National Championships and is always looking for partners, local organizers as well as national associations, to propagate this exciting and thrilling discipline all over the world.

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OFFICIAL WEBSITE: www.speedworldcup.com

PREVIEW PICTURES: www.speedworldcup.com -> Press Lounge
Hi-Res Pics and Videos available on request.

TOUR MANAGER: MARKUS SCHWENDTNER

For more information about the Speed:World:Cup, please do not hesitate to contact us at:

Speed:World:Cup

Markus Schwendtner - Tour Manager
Rohrbecker Weg 43
14612 Falkensee
Germany

Fon: +49 1713819139

www.speedworldcup.com
info@speedworldcup.com

The Speed:World:Cup is sanctioned by ISAF and ISWC

Please visit these links:

www.internationalwindsurfing.com
www.sailing.org