Extreem high tech adventures

Sailing rocks because our sport includes high tech adventures, pushing the port and expanding the limits.  Because these sailors are contributing to our sport the sport as a whole benefits.  For example America's Cup and Volvo Ocean Race teams developed laminate sail cloth and this technology lead to laminates for cruising use that last longer and hold their shape better than Dacron.

http://youtu.be/jKwV6F3_Hl4

What will the recently completed 34th America's Cup bring to the sport?




Other high tech projects are contributing technology to our sport in there pursuit of speed records over courses ranging from 1 nautical mile to cercomnavigations.  These include:

The outright sail powered speed record is held by Sail rocket


The Jules Vern trophy is held by Bank Populaire for the fastest cercumnavigation of the planet under sail.  This record has no restrictions on the boat or the crew.


Team Hydroptere, a french group run by Alain Thébault are developing two very specialized craft to beat both of these records.  There speed record boat is similar to Sail Rocket, but bigger and hopefully tougher and their round the world boat is a development of there foiling trimaran that can change between displacement mode for storms and foiling mode to go freaking fast.  Check them out here:

 http://hydroptere.com/en/the-sailing-boats/hydroptere-2/

All of these teams advance all areas of our sport as they develop their specialized craft.

Extra Large Saturday Sailing #65

The 18 footer season has started down under






A Humpback whale vs power boat






Two AC 72's in a practice race






Speed record sailing last year ....




... And this year Vesta Sail Rocket II sets the bar.






The Vende Globe continues.  Mike Golding and Alex Thompson are both still going strong.

Saturday Sailing #62 (on a Saturday no less)

Vesta Sail Rocket II is ready to roll ...




Oracle capsize their AC 72.  Just like their AC45 capsize earlier this month only bigger.




Nacra 17 is on the water test sailing.  Mixed teams will sail it in the 2016 games.




The Vende Globe starts Nov 11th.  Three english speaking sailors are entering.

Saturday Sailing #61

Brits are odd ...




Vesta Sail Rocket 2 is getting ready for another attempt on the world sailing speed record





Oracle capsizes dramatically in the AC 45 world series




Emirates Team NZ AC 72 is up and foiling

Saturday Sailing Video #30

Vesta Sail Rocket breaks 100 km/hr with Journalist aboard






Volvo Ocean Race in port race was today!

Saturday Sailing video #28

Here's Vesta Sail Rocket going 40+  knots




First boat enters the start port for the 2011/2012 Volvo Ocean Race





Low Bridge ahead

Saturday Sailing Video #12

Odd video interview of sailors racing in the Atlantic cup in class 40's




Vesta Sail Rocket 2 Up on her foils for the first time. close to 20 knots with main eased.

Saturday Sailing Video #10

You can do match racing maneuvers in an AC 45 wing sail cat.








The KYC yacht club is open for the season!




Same event from the pier...







Vesta Sail Rocket II is under going tow trials before their assult on the sailing speed record