This is the bizarre contraption known as "MacQuarie Innovation" that Slowy has to beat to be the first over 50 for the 500.http://www.macquarie.com.au/speedsailing/gallery.htm
You can see it in action at from an episode of "On the Water" - the sailing bit is at about he 6minute mark.
Hi guys, yeah it was I that tried to kill C.L. :) He was at least 50 m past though. After watching him sail past I tried to sail back upwind just in case the gust lasted more than 2 mins It wasn't the sail going first though, it was 45 kn getting under the Missile and ejecting it vertically. The 5.8 just followed!!. Of course thewind went back to 25 kn very quickly and Chris was the only one gettin a rainbow run that day.
cheers Tony
Am afraid I've got to beg to differ on a couple of points:
Slowboat said... "by the way they attacked that run they were going for broke... unfortunatly broke happened. The record was toast if the wing held up... No doubt 50kts would have been dusted officially. It was incredible to watch. First time I've seen those guys firing in anger. Big respect."
Hmm... not sure they were firing in anger... more like they were firing in desperation.
They've been messing about for years now without too much competition for the 50 knot barrier, but in the last couple of years, the windsurfers are starting to break it, and the kiters are starting to go well beyond it (both of them "unofficially" of course). Plus the "Wot-if" boat in Sydney is almost ready, and is designed to do at least 50, with the next version designed for 60.
MI must know by now that if they don't take the official 50 knot record out in the next few months, the windsurfers quite possible will, and if they don't, then the kiters will almost certainly walk off with it by the year's end.
I reckon THAT'S why they were going for broke.
But I've got to agree with you; BIG respect to the pilots of that thing.
I was standing on the beach and watched it go past me (the pod was about 6 to 8 feet in the air at the time) and was perhaps a trifle higher than the pilot's may have liked; imagine going "over the bars" in that contraption!!!
Did you see one of the pilots walk out behind it at the end of the run, bend over with his hand's on his knees and look like he was just about to throw up? Perhaps out of fear, perhaps adrenaline,... perhaps out of coming so close to taking out the record after such a long time, and missing it, again.
Perhaps all of the above and even more.
Poor fella. Can't say I blame him.
AUS1111 said... "This is the bizarre contraption known as "MacQuarie Innovation" that Slowy has to beat to be the first over 50 for the 500."
Ahem... Slowey would NOT have been first. 50 for the 500's already been done. Perhaps you've already forgotten the session a certain german gentleman by surname of "Heinig" posted on GPS-Kitesurfing about a month ago? Sure, sure it's "unofficial" as it wasn't done according to WSSRC conditions. But I'm afraid that what Slowey's managed to achieve at SP with his handheld GPS was just as "unofficial".....
... although, if he'd managed to strap MI's Trimble to his back it would have all been officially kosher seeing as there would have been all the officials to hand...
... D'OH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He coulda done it there and then!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Right, next time there's similiar conditions and MI turns up for the show I think a posse might have to be organised from amongst the windsurfers "spectating" on the beach nearby to pin down the boaties, pull out the Trimble, duct-tape it to Slowey and/or T.W. and send them off to take out the 50 for 500 "officially".
- just kiddin' MI.
Just heard for Tim. The wind was just too far South for MI to run.
I also heard from a mate who said he had a great windsurfing session. Sunny, windy and long, square runs at the South-East end of the channel.
In square conditions (southerly) do you ever run down the bottom near the inlet mouth to get a NM in or is it too dodgy down there (currents & wind behind dunes etc) ?
