At last Sailrocket 2 has claimed what is rightfully hers: She is the fastest sailboat on the planet after going for the speed sailing record with an astonishing peak of 61.92 knots and an average 54.08 knots over 500 m. UPDATE: Surpassing the previously fastest boat Hydroptère, and smashing the outright world speed sailing record, previously held by kite surfer Rob Douglas with 55.65 knots average.
The team around Malcolm Barnsley and Paul Larsen worked hard to improve stability and handling on VSR2 after Sailrocket 1 crashed in a spectacular backflip. Aerotrope designed the wingsail and base-ventilated hydrofoil for Sailrocket 2 in such a way that she can handle sailing loads of 65 knots including a 1G turn, and go up to 80 knots with a realistic safety margin. Her unique rigid wing sail is fully feathering and therefore de-powers the boat instantly when the main sheet is eased. Best of all, our engineers built in enough structural reserve so this craft is easily upgraded for faster future attempts.
Vestas Sailrocket 2 has re-written the history books of yacht speed, and it looks like she is here to stay.
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