Wot Rocket's official attempt date set for August
Wot Rocket will officially attempt to break the 500m world speed sailing record of 49.09 knots next month with pilot and creator Sean Langman nominating August for the 28 day window granted by the World Sailing Speed Record Council to coincide with the winter westerlies that traditionally prevail.
'Wot Rocket, creator and Pilot, Sean Langman and co-pilot Martin 'Tacka' Thompson'
Sergio Dionisio/Wot Rocket
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The Council has confirmed they are satisfied with the certificates for the Trimble GPS's timing instruments and are aware of the August window. Once inside the window, the Wot Rocket project team is allowed seven days with an Australian based Council appointed Commissioner on site to ratify their speeds.
With a 20 knot plus WNW breeze forecast, tomorrow's scheduled test sail on Botany Bay has been postponed until the end of next week when favourable conditions are expected to return.
Refinements resulting from Wot Rocket's last outing are continuing at Noakes at Woolwich with a heavy job list already completed thanks to project manager Josh Alexander who is working full time on the ultimate 'boy toy'.
At this point Langman believes their biggest challenge will be getting Wot Rocket up out of the water and skating on its two hydrofoils.
'We've designed a beast and once we learn how to fly it we can harness its full potential,' said Langman. 'Getting airborne is the challenge, after that there's no limit.
by Lisa Ratcliff occ.net.au 
adelaide, SA
