Sailing in 28 knots of wind off the coast of Hyeres, France, the 60-ft trimaran L’Hydroptere has broken another speed record, covering a nautical mile at an average speed of 50.17 knots. The record, subject to ratification by the World Sailing Speed Record Council, takes its place alongside L’Hydroptere‘s 500 meter record speed of 51.36 knots.
From BYMNews.com:
“For 30 years, passion and daring have carried me forward, but this victory really belongs to our indomitable, tight-knit team. The historic record of more than 50 knots over one nautical mile is powerful because it lies at the frontier between the twin capacities of this extraordinary flying trimaran that is both a high-speed craft and an ocean-going sailboat. Our team now holds the top two speed records in the world, 51.36 knots over 500 metres and 50.17 knots over one nautical mile, and we can now concentrate on ocean sailing in 2010”, commented Alain Thébault.