Starts Monday 4th November. Forecast for the first day looks good gusting to 40 to 50 knots. Hope they finish digging out the canal and have it ready in time. Antoine is back for another crack at the windsurfing speed record.
Unfortunately the canal wont be ready to open this week. One of the diggers sank into the sand and has to be freed, putting back the construction. Forecast looks good this week and next. Also some discussion this may be the last year for the L?deritz speed event.
Forecast: wx.iwindsurf.com/spot/86416
What a shame there was a chance the world record could be broken today? Anyone there? At least some GPS records could be broken at Dias Point if the conditions were right?
I hope it stays for a few more years. Fingers crossed. It's on the bucket list. I truly hope records will be broken this year to show importance of the event. An safe sailing to all participants
Exploring the other potential spots in this world continues. That's the exciting part. ??
Might be time to explore wind chop flattening ideas again. ? Maybe another thread.
Looking good at Luderitz this week. Four days of wind gusting over 40 knots. The big boys are in town, Antoine and Bjorn ready to rumble! Canal almost ready.
This was how it looked 2 days ago! Sounded like a few were in there practicing starts and getting well down the run. Should be on!
Saw a post earlier in the day which I cant find now to post it here, that said the canal was full and the comp would start today, can anyone confirm this?
Yes its on, Karo Van Tonder first run 40.74kts
Only 2 sailing, low speeds, must be wrong direction or light?
Riders are starting to get twitchy in Luderitz. The canal finally reopened yesterday after another 8 days of low winds and maintenance to dig out the shallow spots. Forecast for next week looks promising, only 2 weeks left in the 2024 edition. Brendan Lornho has done 47 runs down the course!
A2 with top run of the day at 51.83 knots over the 500m. TBC new women's 500m record for Jenna Gibson at 47.41 knots, beating Heidi Ulrich's record of 47.06 knots from 2022. Jenna only took up speedsailing earlier this year, currently races on the PWA tour. She's named after another famous speedsailor from the early days of the sport.
Antoine and the boys spent the last few days sandbagging the edge of the course down towards the latter half, seems to have paid off keeping the rolling chop down.
Apparently the video result is 47.36 knots, so 0.3 faster than Heidi's 47.06 WR.
Those of us who sail with her regularly (Portland Harbour) aren't really surprised. She's got so fast this year!
I think Jenna's first 47+ knot run was on the 2025 Warp 5m, then she switched to Farrel's old NP Evo14 5.3 for her record 47+ knot run.
wildest thing on this aside from AA looking like he beat his old record, is the "speeds over time" plot. Now that shows how truly in another league is AA to the other guys there. Always on the top of the chart. For EVERY run. Thats something.
Looks as if both men's and woman's 500m records have fallen again. AA on 53.38 kts and Jenna on 47.53 kts subject to correction off the video timing. Edit: Timing screens have AA's top run revised down to 52.98 knots.
Some postings on GPSSS, Coros vertix showing 45.37kts for 500m, event GPS timing from Luderitz only showing 43.94kts!
Locosys GW60 recording 46.09kts event GPS with 46.89kts.
Another GW60 48.42kts for 500m event GPS 47.87kts.
Quieter on the canal today, looks like Saturday through Tuesday could serve up some epic conditions and records could fall again. Great to see the winds come in for everyone making the trek to Luderitz. I believe Antoine was on his 5.8 most of yesterday and it was gusting to 50 knots. How windy does it have to be for him to get the 5.3 out of the bag!