Alain Thébault and his crew increased the record speed of l’Hydroptère from 47.6 to 52.86 knots on Saturday 4 October. This recording is from the official Trimble measurement system, required by the WSSRC.

In these very strong wind conditions with gusts records at over 40 knots, l’Hydroptère is the first sailing boat to break the wind barrier of 50 knots in top speed.

After the summer sailing sessions, l’Hydroptère was placed in dry dock. Every centimetre of the boat was carefully verified. The central hull and the floaters were streamlined, the foils optimized, and the sails were reinforced by Incidence in Brest.

Alain Thébault explained: “l’Hydroptère is a scientific project, a research project, but the impressions of the sailors are a very important element. It is only at sea that we can understand how the boat behaves, and the crew’s input completes the studies. You cannot have one without the other.”

After launching, the mast was tilted to increase the strength of the sails and the rigging’s potential. The runs on the speed base at Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône are made on a beam reach, so the crew specifically configured the rigging for runs on starboard tack.

The WSSRC officially re-opened the spot on 30 September. Since then, l’Hydroptère has resumed her training for the absolute sailing speed record, recently established at 49.84 knots by the American kitesurfer, Rob Douglas.

For more news about l’Hydroptère, visit www.hydroptere.com .