6-454: The Vestas Sailrocket was built to capture the sailing speed record competing in the B-class for 150 to 235 square feet of sail. It is piloted by the project leader Paul Larsen and sponsored by Danish wind turbines manufacturer Vestas . In 2008 the first version reached a reported unofficial speed of 52.22 knots (96.71 km/h), before crashing. After being upgraded to a second version,
12-514: A new hydrofoil boat, SP80, to exceed the Vestas Sailrocket 2 record in 2022, with a target speed of 80 knots. As of April 2023, the speed record attempts were pushed back to 2024 and are scheduled to take place in Leucate . This article about a specific civilian ship or boat is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Paul Larsen Paul Larsen (born 16 January 1970)
18-497: Is an Australian sailor who has been involved in many extreme sailing projects. He led the 10-year project for the Vestas Sailrocket , which set new nautical mile and 500m world speed sailing records in 2012. He credits Pete Goss as the person who had the greatest impact on his sailing career, and his sailing hero. Paul Larsen was part of Tim Jarvis 's six-man crew that in 2013 successfully recreated Ernest Shackleton 's famous journey from Elephant Island to South Georgia in
24-587: The James Caird , a 22.5-foot lifeboat. Larsen successfully navigated the replica vessel, the Alexandra Shackleton, from Elephant Island to South Georgia using the same navigational instruments and methods that Frank Worsley , Shackleton's navigator on the James Caird, would have used. Additionally, after arriving at South Georgia, Larsen, along with Baz Gray, was part of Jarvis's three-man team that traversed
30-524: The Vestas Sailrocket 2 began a campaign to break speed records in November 2012 off Walvis Bay , Namibia . On 12 November, it made a 54.08 knots (100.16 km/h) run over a 500 metres (1,600 ft) distance, then 59.23 knots (109.69 km/h) on the 16th. It attained 55.32 knots (102.45 km/h) on a one-mile run on the 18th and simultaneously 59.38 knots (109.97 km/h) on 500m. On 24 November, with wind speeds at roughly 25 knots (46 km/h), it ran
36-542: The 500m course at 65.45 knots (121.21 km/h) with a 68.01 knots (125.95 km/h) peak. Both records are ratified by the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC) for the 500m and the mile. A Swiss team of École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne university students and engineers, including members involved in the development of previous record-holder Hydroptère , formed in October 2019 to develop
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