The 50 knot sailboat

[kach22i]

That's the magic number, so far the Hydroptere is moving forward as her new speed record is now set at 47.2 knots.

Link with video:
http://www.hydroptere.com/index.php4?lang=EN

This is no surboard with a kite, this is a real boat using hydrofoils.

[Jim Richards]

Whoa! I used to get excited planing my J/22 at 10+ knots. Going 45-50 knots in a sailboat? Yikes!

[74-911]

Originally posted by Jim Richards
Whoa! I used to get excited planing my J/22 at 10+ knots. Going 45-50 knots in a sailboat? Yikes!

+1

Crewed on a J/22 for several years and also raced a Force 5 which will plane in 15 knot winds and it's a real ride when they plane.
Most people think of sailboat racing as the Americas cup which has become a joke. 10-12 J/22's converging on the jib or leward mark in 20 knot winds can get real exciting... remember for all intent and purposes you have no brakes, no accelerator and iffy steering..

[notfarnow]

Originally posted by Jim Richards
Whoa! I used to get excited planing my J/22 at 10+ knots. Going 45-50 knots in a sailboat? Yikes!

Someone clocked me at 11.5 knots in my Vanguard 470 once, without the chute. It was fun, but you'd get worn out and beat up pretty quick. Went on to a 15' catamaran that would do 12 knots all day long without beating you up. Being up on one pontoon is like having air suspension. Actually... it is air suspension.

[nineoneone]

Boy that brings back memories of when I had a friend with a pearson design 30' ,inland lake racing. tack, tack, tack, down wind spinnaker was the best, well for a minute you got to look around. 50kts.......dayam.

[Nostril Cheese]

ok, i'll bite 1 knot = ? MPH

[notfarnow]

1 knot = 1.2 mph

[kach22i]

Originally posted by Nostril Cheese
ok, i'll bite 1 knot = ? MPH

The chart gives you an "impression"
50 Knots = 57.6 MPH
http://www.disastercenter.com/convert.htm

Formula:
1 knot = 1.150 779 448 mile/hour (mph)
http://www.onlineconversion.com/speed_common.htm

50 knot = 57.538 972 401 mile/hour (mph)
http://www.onlineconversion.com/speed_common.htm

[JeremyD]

Bursts of 15-16knots on my 505 - ah the memories -

50 knots is nuts.

I'd love to sail an Australian 18 = that's got to be insane.

[kach22i]

Originally posted by notfarnow
Being up on one pontoon is like having air suspension. Actually... it is air suspension.

Originally posted by 74-911
remember for all intent and purposes you have no brakes, no accelerator and iffy steering..

You guys sound like you are ready for your first ride on a hovercraft.

My craft:
http://www.hoverclubofamerica.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=962

[nineoneone]

Hovercraft way way to much noise. Sailing = sound of wind

[Jim Richards]

+1, sorry kach22i

[kach22i]

Originally posted by nineoneone
Hovercraft way way to much noise. Sailing = sound of wind

There have been human powered hovercraft, but that's not for me.

I do love the sound and feel of the water on a sailboat.

[Jim Richards]

hovercraft are cool, but in a different way.

[notfarnow]

Originally posted by nineoneone
Sailing = sound of wind

Wind, water and the ice in your drink.

[arcsine]

I've gone 17 knots in a J105 and a Cookson 12M. Definitely gets your attention. I think I would like to do the 20-30 in a Volvo 70 but 50 under sail is too much for me.

[RKC]

A Hobie 16 will do 18+ mph pretty easily in a good wind. Pitchpoled one once in Mission Bay in San Diego - seen the same happen often on Lake Michigan. It's pretty scary stopping that fast on water. Not sure I'd like to do that kind of "endo" at 50+!

[gatotom]

WOW, that was amazing to see that, I can't imagine being on the boat

the beauty of it is that its not even hardly touching the water, just flying over the waves.

kinda makes the solo sail I did this past wkend in 12-14k winds and getting almost 7k outa my boat seem like I was standing still, but the boat was in the water

[notfarnow]

Originally posted by gatotom

kinda makes the solo sail I did this past wkend in 12-14k winds and getting almost 7k outa my boat seem like I was standing still, but the boat was in the water

In a race last summer, we were sailing upriver against the current. We were going 6 kts over water and -1 kt over land. Pretty funny to have the spinnaker out and be going backwards, slowly.

[Jim Richards]

BTDT