50.57 kn

Alexandre Caizergues (FRA) is the fastest sailor on earth now, with a blistering 50.57 knots run today, accompanied by several more 50s and high 49s. Several more national outright records have been broken today in Luderitz, full results, pictures and interviews at www.luderitz-speed.com

Registration or the 2008 ISWC production board world championship (29.11.-06.12.2008) is open. Please register by using the link on the right side of the website ("Event Registration Online"). Please note that only production board equipment registered with ISAF is eligible to race.

A full report from Alain de Gendt, who has visited the venue last weekend, will follow shortly.

It was a massive Friday at the Luderitz Speed Challenge, with a new outright world record, and the magic 50 knot barrier broken by Sebastien Cattelan of France with a blistering run of 50.26 knots (93kph). The new record, still subject to ratification by a sitting of the World Speed Sailing Records Council, has placed the small coastal town in the southern part of Namibia firmly on the map for the extreme sport of speed sailing, where sailing boards, windsurfers and kitesurfers use only the natural elements to power them to almost 100kph speeds.

Subject to WSSRC ratification, Sebastien Cattelan (FRA) has finally broken the magical 50 knots barrier, the holy gral of speed sailing. Accompanied by several high 49 knots runs from himself, Alexandre Caizergues and Jerome Bila (all France) he was the only sailor finally getting to 50.26 knots.

Special attendance was paid to the required water depth, and the organizer in cooperation with the WSSRC commissioner present clearly ensured that the rule was strictly applied.

Full details, pictures and reports can be found at www.luderitz-speed.com