Know your Nautical Terminology
This marks the end of our study of the development of sailing ships. We started with the Viking longboat and now reach ultimate in go-fast sailing.
The fastest sailboat in the world, based on the official outright speed sailing record ratified by the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC), is the Vestas Sailrocket 2. On November 24, 2012, Australian sailor Paul Larsen piloted it to an average speed of 65.45 knots (about 75 mph or 121 km/h) over a 500-meter course in Walvis Bay, Namibia. This record has stood unbroken for over a decade, as it's the highest verified average speed for a crewed wind-powered craft on water.
Paul Larsen & Vestas Sail Rocket 2 - Smashing the Sailing World Speed Record - An Inside Look
The fastest transatlantic crossing by a sailboat, as ratified by the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC), is the crewed multihull record of 3 days, 15 hours, 25 minutes, and 48 seconds. This was set by the 131-foot trimaran Banque Populaire V, skippered by Pascal Bidégorry with a crew of 13, departing Ambrose Light off New York on August 22, 2009, and arriving at Lizard Point, Cornwall, UK, on August 26. The vessel averaged 32.94 knots (about 38 mph, 61.00 km/h) over the approximately 2,880-nautical-mile course, benefiting from favorable westerly winds and advanced lightweight carbon construction.
Banque Populaire V Smashes Transatlantic Record
The fastest sailing circumnavigation of the Earth, as ratified by the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC), is the outright crewed non-stop record of 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes, and 30 seconds. This was achieved by the 131-foot trimaran IDE C (now SVR Lazartigue), skippered by Francis Joyon with a crew of four, starting from Ushant, France, on January 17, 2017, and finishing on February 27, 2017. The voyage covered approximately 21,638 nautical miles at an average speed of 22.23 knots (about 25.5mph, 41.2 km/h), navigating the challenging Southern Ocean capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin, and Horn) under the Jules Verne Trophy rules, which prohibit stops or external assistance.
Beginning in January, I will have new series dealing with the historical development of watercraft leading to the use of the world's oceans and waterways. The initial item will be the first recorded instance of the use of water craft. It is a lot earlier than you think. Send me your guesses as to where and when to win some trivial prize of my later choosing.
SpyNavy
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)