Fastest Sail Boats on the Water

Though people often picture a slow, relaxing voyage when they plan a sailing trip, many sailboats are built for speed. Designed for low wind and water resistance, these sleek designs are made for speed sailing, moving as fast as possible over preset routes, with the overall peak speed being recorded. Competition speed crafts range from windsurfers and kitesurfers to multi-hull crafts with 15-member crews. Recent designs have hulls that depend on hydrofoils, which allow the hull to lift out of the water, increasing speed and reducing friction.

  1. L'Hydroptère

    • This French trimaran is the world's fastest sailboat. It is a multihull that reduces vertical lift with its stable roll and pitch. It lifts out of the water, making it a hydrofoil. It was the first sailboat to ever pass 100 km/h, which it did in 2008 when it peaked at 56.3 knots (104km/h). In 2008, l'Hydroptère made another record attempt, reaching a speed of 61 knots before flipping over. In September of 2009, the vessel set the world record in the Mediterranean Sea near Marseille, France, with its average speed of 51:36 knots over 500 meters.

    Vestas Sailrocket

    • Close behind L'Hydroptère is the Australian Vestas Sailrocket, which set the record in December 2008 for the fastest sailboat in the world at 47:35 knots over 500 meters. Pilot Paul Larsen aimed at breaking the overall speed record by hitting 52 knots in a burst. Unfortunately the Vestas Sailrocket flipped into the air and crashed.

    Foncia

    • The record for sailing around the world on a monohull yacht is held by Michel Desjoyeaux with his 60-foot monohull Foncia. The yacht sailed around the world in 84 days, 03 hours, 09 minutes and 08 seconds. He crossed the 24,840 miles of this course without assistance, at an average speed of 12.30 knots. He surpassed the record set in 2004 by Vincent Riou on PRB by over 3 days.

    Groupama 3

    • Groupama 3, a French maxi-trimaran, set the record for fastest non-stop sailing around the world in March of 2010. The previous record had been held since 2005 by Bruno Peyron on Orange II, a craft that has also held crewed sailing records for equator to equator, Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. Finishing at just over 48 days with an average speed of 19 knots, Groupama 3 improved the previous record by over 2 days. With its crew of 10, Groupama 3 had already broken several records, including least number of days to cross the North Atlantic and greatest distance covered in 24 hours.