The stars aligned for Weymouth Speed week 2017. With Hurricane Ophelia and Storm Brian on the horizon, the event’s forecast had more purple than a Prince tribute concert. But would these strong winds be enough to break the existing event harbour records? With all the improvements in windsurfing equipment would the windsurfers smash it or would the kitesurfers have their time in the history books? It was back in 2008 that the event had such an amazing forecast and the big Swede, Anders Bringdal, and the UK’s Zara Davis set the men’s and women’s event harbour records of 38.38 knots and 32.44 knots respectively. Pete Davis reports on how the action went down.
Weymouth Speed week (WSW) has become an institution with windsurfers, kitesurfers and wacky boats since the early sev-enties. Now in its 45th year, it is the longest running speed event in the world and has attracted some of the biggest stars in speed sailing over the years. In the 80s Fred Haywood broke the 30 knots barrier and Jenna de Rosnay set the women’s world record of 22 knots here also. Weymouth is not the fastest site anymore, being superseded initially by the trench in Saintes Maries de la Mer in France and now the canal in Lüderitz in Namibia, but this has not diminished the attraction of Speed Week. Still super popular 45 years on, drawing in recent years the big stars of the sport like Bjorn Dunkerbeck and Anders Bringdal, who wanted to sail on the hallowed waters where speed sailing started. This year again it was like the who’s who of speed sailing with Erik Beale, the 1st man to break 40 knots, Paul Larson of Sailrocket and outright world record holder at 65.45 knots and Farrel O’shea, British record holder, dropping in just to say hi.
WELCOME ALL
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