Place : Luderitz, Namibia
Date : November 14th 2009
Rider: Alex Caizergues
Sponsors: Ouest Provence, F One kiteboarding, Volkswagen Utilitaires and AlpEnergie

  It was obvious from the onset that today was going to be a different day.  The locals and other spectators were already at the beach before many of the riders got there, and on only the third timed run of the day, yesterday's best time was beaten.  The wind was blowing a lot harder so many riders switched to smaller (7 to 9 meter) kites, and quickly many riders started having their fastest runs thus far.

As the day progressed, riders started recording faster and faster times, and after almost three hours the 50 knot barrier fell again...twice.  Alex Caizergues did it first, recording a time of 50 knots, and blowing it all wide open.  Catman almost did it shortly thereafter, close on his heals, recording an impressive 49.5

With the wind still blowing hard, everyone was wondering if today would be the day.

It looked like it was going to be an all French affair, until Rob Douglas of the U.S.A. became the second rider of the day to break the 50 knot barrier, when he recorded a time of 50.5 knots, and became the new leader on the day.  But it wasn't over yet.

Thirty minutes later, and shortly before the strip closed for the day, Alex Caizergues completed another unbelievable run of 51 knots, which obviously finished as the best run of the day.  At the time of writing, these times are all unofficial and unratified, and they need to be corrected for current, but what this means is that, should Alex's time stand, we could have a new world kiteboarding record.  Similarly, if Rob's time stands, it would be good enough for a new American national record.

Tomorrow official (but unratified) results will be available, and likewise clarification on what new records were set will also be made available.   But maybe it won't matter, as tomorrow the wind is forecasted to come through just as hard, and it's very possible that the best is yet to come.

 



In the build up to this weekend's forecast of heavy wind, many people are optimistic that this year's Speed Challenge will again produce new national and international speed sailing records. What many people overlook though, is the fact that these results will only become official records after the governing body, the World Sailing Speed Records Council of the International Sailing Federation, ratifies the results. This is why Michael Ellison, the WSSRC commissioner overseeing the 2009 L?deritz Speed Challenge, is a very important man.

Michael, himself a master mariner, began sailing when he was a child, and went on to work as a merchant marine for most of his life. Michael first became an official observer in 1973, a year after the WSSRC was formed, when he wrote a letter suggesting some changes they needed to make in order to improve the competition. The council liked his suggestions and invited him to join. This is a man who has now observed countless world record breaking speed sailing runs in the thirty six years he has been officiating. This is a man who knows what it takes to break records, with a powerful sense of what is a fast setup, and what is record-breaking.

I asked Michael today whether he thought it was likely that this year's Speed Challenge would again produce another world outright speed sailing record.

"Definitely," he said with the calm certainty that comes with his incredible amounts of experience. "Look, last year, we had three different guys break fifty knots, all on different boards, all using different kites, all of them with different body weights."

"What this means," he went on to explain, "is that no-one has found the optimum formula yet." This year has seen a lot of development on the speed boards - last year the boards were wider with a distinct cut-out at the tail, this year the boards are narrower, with more flex and some concave. There's also been a lot more training, so the riders have a lot more experience under their belts. "Any one of the these guys, or girls, could have the right wind, blowing in the right direction, with the right water at the right time, and then we could have another two knots. Then we'll have a new world record," says Michael.

"What's important is these guys think they can do it - so they'll do it"

And if they do, do it, Michael will be right there, helping to make it official.

SOURCE: Luderitz Speed Challenge

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