Tuesday Dylan Fletcher and the Great Britain SailGP team became the first to break the elusive 50 knot barrier, achieving a boat speed of 50.2 knots.
Made even sweeter by the fact that it was on home waters ahead of Cowes SailGP 10/11 August.
Training off Egypt Point on the racecourse for the penultimate event in SailGP’s opening season, Fletcher and the British team comprising of Chris Draper, Stuart Bithell, Matt Gotrel, Neil Hunter and Richard Mason were the first ever to fly at a record speed of 50.22 knots on the 50-foot foiling catamaran.
It is the equivalent to 58 mph and 93 kph.
“We’re always trying to push the boundaries, and to be honest, it feels pretty wicked to get a notch up on Tom Slingsby,” said Fletcher of the rival helmsman from Australia who initially believed he broke the mark in San Francisco.
“Cowes has a long history of hosting iconic sailing events and we knew this stretch of water, with the right conditions, could set us up well for breaking this record.”
“It’s unbelievable how far sailing has progressed in the last few years and SailGP and these F50s really represent the next generation of our sport. We now can’t wait to hit it again in racing and really showcase these fantastic boats.”
The upcoming grand prix will mark the penultimate event in the championship’s 2019 inaugural racing calendar and the first in Europe.
Competing in a total of five short-format fleet races across the two-day event, the fate of the top two teams will be decided in a match race final on the Sunday afternoon (August 11), determining the Cowes SailGP winner.
For the first time for viewers in the UK, the racing will be offered live on the innovative SailGP APP.
The action-packed season will conclude in Marseille, France, in September, where teams will compete in a breath-taking finale for the championship trophy and a $1 million dollar prize.
