Absolute Sailing speed record 65,45kts (121,12 km/h)

Absolute Sailing speed record 65,45kts (121,12 km/h)

Paul Larsens's Vestas sailrocket smashed the olf record by almost 10 knots  (>5%)
Some links (to find more out by yourself), pictures and context of the rocket.

Youtube record video
youtube video here


These photo's clearly shows the layout. The clever trick is that the sailforces are balanced by a pullin (not lifting) hydrofoil. The design and all the work on the prototypes and the eraly rc models certainly went into this balancing act.
The little horizontal wing on the leeward side of help the lift ooo, of the leeward float reducing water contact and consequently resistance.

 An early version of the rocket during the Weymouth speedweek?

A major setback when Sailrocket 1 went flying

 

The vestas blog gives more info about the vestas sailrocket

Just for some reference, some other projects using similar techniques or part of techniques

Macquarie innovation

website

youtube 50kn video

 

 Kitesurfer Sylvain Claudel using a Didier Costes pulling foil. For me this seems to have great future!
youtube

Didier Costes has been working around this principle already for many years as you can see from the following pictures. You can Also have a look at the webpage  about the Didier Costes work. That is where below pictures come from (by lack of time to scan my old Yachting World clippings)

Some more tests of the seaglider concept in Hawaii

Didier Costes calls his craft Exoplane.

Finally some (1970's) thougths of my own, which can be found on the website wind-water.nl
and then the Water section, menu option Hydrofoil ideas.
Maybe it is time to make a more detailed design of these ideas and at least an artist's impression rendering.

enjoy, play and learn
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life is short