Check it out it's gonna go fast very fast, very very shortly... tomorrow and wednesday at least, perfect wind direction SE (www.windguru.cz/48605)
We might be even further away from the record, us humans...http://www.mastersofspeed.com/
Too square for potential world record but still...
1-ALBEAU: 46.7 kts French Speed Record
(5m RSR, proto 37 Starboard, 24 deboichet upwind)
2-MAYNARD: 46 kts
(proto pryde 5.2, proto 35 F2, 22 deboichet upwind)
3-DIETHELM: 44.3 kts
Production Speed Record
(5.4 north 2006, F2 missile XS, 22 deboichet upwind)
4-BORDES: 44.1nds
(5m vapor, proto Tabou 42, deboichet 21 upwind)
5-GARREL: 42.5nds
(5.4 north, missile XS et deboichet 24 upwind)
More to come tomorrow
Didn't realise Antoine was sailing on the canal. Looks like Finian may not be the first to 50.
Surprised about the Deboichets given Chris said no-one used them at the speed comps.
Garrel has gone 3knots faster on the canal so the condition could at least get 3 knots faster... add that to Antoine speed and it will be interesting....
Seems that the mastersofspeed site hasn't any news yet so went to the french site http://www.windsurfjournal.com/default.asp?id_bb_languages=2 which had this to say.
"With the day's happenings at the Masters of Speed at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer drawing to a close and while we're still waiting for any news of what may have taken place on this heralded 20th November, there's one piece of information we can definitely confirm. That the big Frenchie Antoine Albeau has decided to join in the fun and has flown in specially from Maui for the possibility, just days before jetting off to Brazil for the Formula Windsurfing world championships !!!
A competitor of high standing who should figure among the leaders if the favouable weather forecast has actually lived up to expectation... "
and later
"The first news is just filtering through from Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer with the story that Antoine Albeau in fact didn't make the trip for nothing, leaving the day's action with a new French record of 46.55 knots ! It's a performance that's interesting in its own right seeing as the wind blew in more south than south east, making for a less favourable angle on the canal, an angle that prevented the riders from really going for it in a good 40 to 45 knots blast. But his new record sees Albeau dethrone the previous holder David Garrel with his 45.51. Riding with a 5.4m2 sail, Albeau improved his personal best by some 3 knots, his previous being 42.98 knots.
And Italian rider Patrick Diethelm also made the news with a new speed record for a production board with no less than 44.77 knots, also an Italian national record !
The whole Masters of Speed team is busy readying the canal for action again, it having been flooded by the incoming tide at the end of the day, pulling out all the stops to be sure that the riders can get on the water for more record attempts tomorrow, Wednesday !"
My rough translation of a report by a frenchman who was there...........
"I had the chance today to accompany one of our regional hotshots Cédric Bordes at the first day of speed at St Maries de la mer.
We arrived at the spot at 8 o’clock for preparation of the kit. Diethelm is already there with Karin Jaggi. They have both rigged 4 sails each (from 5.4 to 4m) and prepared the needles (an mixture of protos from 31 to 36 wide with production boards 43cm wide.
Our countryman Antoine Albeau arrives at the spot with the luxury of a caddy in the person of J. Quentel. Wind is 25-35 from the SE. They will be on 5.8, 5.4 and 5m ² for F-192 with a gun STARBOARD of 37cm width.
For Bordes, the option is a large board because the small boards have not arrived yet: 5m and 4.5 Vapor and 42, 44 protos of the more famous 49 Manta production board.
Garrel is also present and has rigged 5 and 5.4 with a small board 35 wide. This small band heads to water around 10h30. The run is slightly damaged, That's no problem… the first runs are timid, then progressively, the riders are released… and times climb.
This goes on for an hour then things turn when Finian Maynard arrives and prepares his small a proto speed Pryde 5.2 and a small F2 gun, 35cm wide.
In the afternoon the wind increased and forced the majority of the riders to go smaller. In Albeau’s case going from 5.8 to 5.4 then 5m at the end.
Bordes stayed on 5m but quickly reduced the width of the board to 42. The TEAM F2 continues riding on small kit, except Garrel and Diethelm who go on to the production boards because of unsatisfactory performances on their guns.
The battle rages and Albeau comes out on top in spite of a lack of kit compared with his direct competitors. He improves each time Maynard comes close. In the background, a fight rages between Bordes and Diethelm, the later besting by 0.2 knots our young local in the last runs of the day. Garrel is slightly outpaced with 42,5 knots"
Taken from french site transjai33.
Interesting that Bordes considers his 42 one of his large boards!! He is awaiting the arrival of even smaller guns.
...
Bobitch, you had an extra comma in the url mate 
I'm with you Haggar, I was thinking the same thing watching the footage. It has to have some effect plus I'd be making sure there weren't too many people standing on the bank either!
MOS have put up a few photos on their site www.mastersofspeed.com
Chris was right ...it was a bath tub ... ( I'd use the phrase "mill pond" myself).
So I guess what was hindering them with angle, advantaged them with smooth water.
Whatever, they all seemed to be having fun judging by the smiles all 'round.
That water is soooo glassy it is hard to believe that there is any wind at all.....I WANT A CANAL!
Whats to stop anyone building a canal?
There is plenty of areas near the sea around australia...all you need is a dozer
