Hydroptere © Gilles Martin-Raget
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The world speed record for a sailboat was claimed by Hydroptère in Hyères, on the the Mediterranean coast, 12 November. The boat, a hydrofoiled trimaran reached 50.17 knots over a nautical mile, 8 November. At one point it reached 55.5 knots (102.78km/h). The boat will be tested on Lake Geneva in 2010, as part of trials for the Hydroptère Maxi, the boat that will attempt to go round the world in 80 days.
Links to other sites: Hydoptere.com
Background: “Hydroptere lab boat moves to shipyards: 2010 for flying boat on Lake Geneva“, 18 April 2009, GenevaLunch
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The Hydroptere project to create a world record-breaking flying boat that will go around the world in 40 days is moving from lab phase to boat-building in two locations in Switzerland and France, the group has announced. Drawings were unveiled in Lausanne this week for the lab boat, Hydroptere.ch (see image) which will be a reduced scale version of the final Hydroptere Maxi boat.
Hydroptere, the flying boat: trimarin with hydrofoils
Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône, France (GenevaLunch) - Hydroptère, Alain Thébault’s flying boat, a trimarin on hydrofoils that is under development in partnership with EPFL polytechnic in Lausanne, Sunday pushed the sailing speed barrier yet further, marking 61 knots off Napoléon beach at Port-Louis. The boat ended by capsizing in the powerful squall.
