[brian eiland]

Last Feb I posted a video reference of L'Hydroptere exceeding the 45 knot barrier under sail:
http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/37635-post8.html

Well they made it to 47.2
http://www.hydroptere.com/index.php4?lang=EN

...from another forum
The latest I heard, it was last week, was from a wealthy local (Geneva) businessman, who was interviewed because he and his crew had just set a new record for a monohull on the trip from Geneva to the end of the lake and back (7 hours or so, if i'm not mistaken). He said "next month, work will start on my new boat which will be a flying boat leveraging on the Hydroptere and with help of EPFL". We knew since May that EPFL and the Hydroptere team would work together, and that a 12 metre multihull was going to be launched on Lake Geneva. From this interview it looks like the launch could be october or november this year, thus allowing enough time to test the boat a bit before next season (there are few races during the winter time here).

As for Hydroptere the 60-foot version, it always looked to me like the general aerodynamics were just not there. Maybe computer simulations and/or model testing have revealed that some work on the arms (like having a skin over them rather than a gap between the beams), and thinning the "floats", was going to be enough? I have no access to this kind of data so cannot tell. But I guess that if they're going through the trouble, and the investment, whatever they're doing must have been shown, on simulations and or model testing, to have the potential to markedly improve from the current setup?

...and
As it happens, I ended up looking simply on the Hydroptere.com website. And there was an update on the Lake Geneva project, dated September 7th, which I had missed.

It is in French, the main points are:
- the team is complete and a big kick-off meeting took place late August in Lausanne. Plan is to have the boat launch summer '08.
- hydroptere.ch is confirmed as a "toy" to both help the evolution of Hydroptere by allowing to test things in a cheaper way, and to provide data for the potential "Hydroptere Maxi" project (fly a 30-35 meter multihull)
- design and construction overseen by VPLP w obviously huge experience in racing multihulls

There is one initial sketch on the site (follow the link below). It looks a lot overall from the side like a D35 i.e. LOTS of power (mast height 1.6-1.7x hull length, bow sprit extending to 20% of hull length). IF that thing flies, it's going to fly in force 2 winds easy. Now flying and controlling it in some of the famed brutal and sudden wind shifts / gusts of Lake Geneva, might require pretty solid skills.

Interestingly the "pods" look much smaller in the vertical dimension, as well as longer, so maybe this is one of the future changes for Hydroptere.com - might allow for both faster top speed, and better speeds when not flying (more similar to existing trimarans).

Two new boats are about to be developed:
l’Hydroptere.ch, a Lab boat which will sail on Lake Léman;
An Hydroptère Maxi which will sail around the world.

http://www.hydroptere.com/accueil/th...EN/rub/28.html

[Garry Hartshorn]

Just happened to come across this, stunning to sail at 47 knots

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCuP-XHefTo

[brian eiland]

From Scuttlebutt:
"L'HYDROPTÈRE BACK IN THE WATER
l'Hydroptère came back to La Trinité sur Mer marina this week after a pure-speed configuration period of six months in the shipyard. l'Hydroptère team took the opportunity of a quiet weather period to put the flying trimaran back in the water and to remast her. Last season, the carbon bird broke two world speed records. In April 2007, l'Hydroptère broke a first record over 500 meters at an average speed of 44.81 knots and a second one over one nautical mile, a performance which made her the fastest craft over the last distance.

After this triumph, the team decided to temporarily set aside open sea trials in order to concentrate on breaking the mythical speed barrier of 50 knots. Thus, 2008 will be devoted to pure speed. l'Hydroptère is now specialized. In order to accomplish this, studies and trials have been carried out by our team of engineers, in collaboration with the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, prior to and throughout the entire works. The rigging, the platform and the external parts have been finely modified to bring the boat's speed potential over 50 knots.

The next few days will be devoted to a series of tests on the new rigging and sails, and on the new textile streamlining, which has recently been installed. L'Hydroptère will then be convoyed to Lorient, where she will be transported by cargo ship to the Mediterranean. After a final phase of assembly in Marseille, l'Hydroptère will be able to tackle her goal for 2008 - to become the fastest sailing craft on the planet. --"

http://www.hydroptere.com/_en/index.php

[brian eiland]

From Scuttlebutt today:

READY TO GO FOR FIFTY
On April 4, 2007, the team onboard l'Hydroptère beat two world speed records ratified by the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC): An average of 44.81 knots over 500 meters, speed record in category D; An average of 41.69 knots over one nautical mile (Outright Nautical Mile) in all categories .

Both those records were set in an open ocean setting, and now with the team's goal being to break the all-time sailing speed record and mythical barrier of 50 knots , the hydrofoil trimaran has been undergoing modifications that will increase speed and better adapt to an ideal, smooth water course.

The boat has just arrived in Toulon (South of France) to begin this campaign.

http://www.hydroptere.com/_en
__________________
Exciting things still continue to happen in the sailing world, and many of them from France. Best of luck to them
Brian

[brian eiland]

...report from another forum


46.8 knots so far w boat still in early tuning phase

They've done 46.8 knots (instant speed) on Sunday 15th as they were training. I assume they have had their speed based officialised as planened (though their site doesn't say anything about it so far).

I'm tempted to say that 46.8, as they were simply validating the speed levels w the engineers (30, 35, 40, 45), sounds good. It suggests that there's better in store for when they'll try for real. And it's very close to the top instant speed achieved by the previous version of the craft.

At the same time, I'd have felt even more confident if they had simply said "we've validated 45 knots w a margin" ;-)


At the end of the day, they state that they "remain confident". I continue to think, as I've written before, that based on the data they've shared on just the aerodynamic improvements made, it seems highly probable that they can reach 50 on a top-speed, instant basis. Whether they can achieve this over 500m, or whether they can do say "only" 45 over a nautical mile, we've got to wait and see. Keep fingers crossed, and they certainly deserve it.

[brian eiland]

...courtesy Scuttlebutt 19 June 2008

Two countries, two hemispheres, two objectives...one victor

Two countries in opposing hemispheres are now vying to be the first to break the current world speed sailing record, and crack the holy grail of 50 knots, regarded as the equivalent to the aeronautical sound barrier.

“No one remembers the second man to walk on the moon,” says Sean Langman, the creator and pilot of the radical purpose-built Australian 9m sail boat/sail plane called Wot Rocket who is acutely aware of the “race against the French to the 50”, and the possibility they could snatch his boyhood dream clean away.

Wot Rocket’s 500m world speed sailing record attempt was forced to shift gears following the launch of the French flying trimaran l’Hydroptere on 22 May.

“I want to go official now because the French have. Everything’s been stamped urgent,” admits Langman.

He is currently awaiting advice from the World Sailing Speed Record Council on whether a Trimble GPS receiver can officially record Wot Rocket’s speed. This would negate the need to have an official timekeeper on the course each time Wot Rocket heads out to attempt to beat French sail boarder Antoine Albeau’s fastest time over 500m of 49.09 knots (90.9 kph), and break through the magic 50 knot milestone.

Last Saturday l’Hydroptere clocked 46.8 knots according to their web site, Langman admitting the “brutish French design can probably be pushed harder, but I believe we have the ability to go faster” he says.

In the past few weeks, Wot Rocket has undergone further refinements following three more sea trials on Botany Bay, the stretch of flat water where the official attempt will eventually take place.

The latest test sail, conducted yesterday, saw the entire project team including designer Andy Dovell on site for the first time. While the 8-12 knot forecast breeze failed to materialise at the upper end, “it was good to get the program back on track following a number of setbacks,” said Langman today.

“We have suffered some issues with our control systems and have spent more than 300 hours further modifying the design. It’s really been a process of elimination”.

Yesterday also marked the first successful trial of a newly built wing extension.

“Because the rules state we have to have a standing start, we plan to initially use the wing extension for more horsepower to get the pod free of the water. Then, once we reach 30 knots of speed we shall fire off the top wing section,” explains Langman.

This staged approach is where the ‘Rocket’ name originated, Langman likening Wot Rocket’s take off to a Saturn V rocket, which jettisons parts as it races out of the earth’s gravitational pull.

Once the Trimble GPS is installed, likely to be this weekend, and the Wot Rocket project team is given the green light by the Speed Council to record its own speed, a notice of intention to make a record attempt will be lodged with the Council.

From that point onwards, each sail will be regarded as an official attempt on the current world record.

“There is no time to waste. The French launching has definitely moved our plans along,” co-pilot Martin Thompson added.

The official website for Wot Rocket is now live: www.wotrocket.com