ISAF ENDORSES KITEBOARDS FOR OUTRIGHT RECORD |
ISAF ENDORSES KITEBOARDS FOR OUTRIGHT RECORD
It came as a shock when the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC) announced on November 20th, 2008 that the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) had
decided at their 2008 Annual Meeting in November that a kite-powered craft could not be recognized as the holder of the outright world sailing speed record.
Considering that in October, three kiteboarders had eclipsed the mythical 50 knot barrier, with their speeds endorsed then by WSSRC as the outright records,
this ISAF ruling caught the kiteboard community off guard.
What followed was extensive debate, and now a reversal from ISAF with the December 7, 2008 announcement that they will now support a decision by the WSSRC
to ratify a claim for the Outright World Sailing Speed Record by a Kite-board. In accordance with this, the WSSRC announced the ratification of a new World Record:
Record: Outright World Sailing Speed Record. The World Sailing Speed Record Council was established by the International Yacht Racing Union (now renamed the International Sailing Federation) in 1972. The object was to provide impartial results for increasing numbers of claims to high speed sailing craft (on water: never on ice nor land!). Early on the decision was made to base such speed ratifications on a one-way leg of exactly 500 metres. Meetings were held every year, often several meetings a year, in various suitable places in the world and speeds climbed with boats of various configurations and with sailboards. In 1988 following several controversial claims about the times and status of long voyages, WSSRC was asked to take over additionally offshore sailing records. Since 2001 the organization has a full time Secretariat. Hardly a day goes by without some form of activity in what is now a separate and increasing branch of the sport of sailing. The undoubtedly expert council draws members from Australia, France, Great Britain and the USA. Its most immediate duty is the ratification, or otherwise, of timed claimed records, inshore and offshore, which have been achieved in accordance with the rules of WSSRC. Certificates are issued to record holders and their times are listed. WSSRC has a facility for issuing Performance Certificates to sailors who wish to be officially times over accepted courses, but are not expecting to beat a record. Another service is a continuous coordinated list of best elapsed times of offshore racing events in all parts of the world, accepting the times of the race committee. The WSSR Council announces the ratification of a new World Record: Record: World Kite-board Record Previous record: 2008. Sebastien Cattelan. 50.26 kts
Board: Fone Prototype Speed. Fone Bandit Dos Speed 7sq m kite.
Name: Alexandre Caizergues. FRA
Date: 4th October 2008
Start time: 15:35:00.84
Finish time: 15:35:20.06
Elapsed time: 19.22
Distance: 501 m
Current: 0.1 kts
Average speed: 50.57 kts
Venue: Luderitz, Namibia
Previous record: 2008. Sebastien Cattelan. 50.26 kts
WSSRC website: http://www.sailspeedrecords.com
What is WSSRC?
WSSR Newsletter No 166 World Kite-board record 01/12/08
Board: Fone Prototype Speed. Fone Bandit Dos Speed 7sq m kite.
Name: Alexandre Caizergues. FRA
Dates: 4th October 2008.
Start time: 15:35:00.84
Finish time: 15:35:20.06
Elapsed time: 19.22
Distance: 501m
Current: 0.1kts
Average speed: 50.57kts
Venue: Luderitz, Namibia.
