The Luderitz Speed Challenge is an annual speed sailing event, held since 2007 in Luderitz, Namibia, in the southern hemisphere spring. It is observed by the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC) and the International Sailing Federation (ISAF). [more]
The concept of the Luderitz Speed challenge is to take all the best sailors in the World, to put them on a perfect speed strip with the best wind conditions and then let them loose to show what they are capable of. We have seen around 30-40 riders every year displaying great performances as a result of hard work made, persistence, perseverance and dedication, pushing the limits even further. 80% of the performance is from the concept and the efficiency of the channel. This is the place where 50 knots is now a really common achievement (reached by windsurfers and kitesurfers for the 1st time in history) and where the 100 km/h and then the 55 knots were also broken for the very first time in the sailing world: Namibia has the monopoly of the performance.
Today the conditions were lighter than expected but we can still enjoy some new records and see how riders are improving a lot everyday! (30-35 knots of wind with nice gusts). Yesterday, 4 records, today . . . 6 records:
Ukrainia: Alexander Goncharov with 46.51 kts
Croatia: Boris Vujasinovic with 46.53 kts
Switzerland: Remo Diethelm with 46.07 kts
Belgium: Alain de Gendt with 45.38 kts
Denmark: Ole Kjaer with 50.43 kts
Russia: Denis Vladimirov with 44.61 kts
