Records on the water and national rankings
The Brest Métropole Speed Base was launched in 1990 to allow water sports lovers to set speed records. The first historical challenge was the speed record over 500 nautical miles. Relaunched in 2013 and after a break linked to the Covid, the association is starting again with new challenges and a versatile and multi-criteria competition, as Caroline Le Naour, Project Manager for the Speed Base, explains.
"We're ramping up by exporting the concept to the national level with a French Sailing Federation framework. We signed with this federal partner during the Paris Nautic in 2021 so as to offer a more credible sports and refereeing framework on a national scale."
A call for applications was launched at the end of the year for sailing clubs along the entire French coastline that are interested in supporting this project. The results, unveiled in early April 2022, should announce at least a dozen new speed bases. Athletes will be able to compete on a national scale and join a larger ranking.
"The Speed Base is supported by Brest Metropole. It is a great lever of animation but also of image and visibility. For the clubs and the territories, it is a new opportunity to revitalize a stretch of water, attract new members within the sailing clubs, federate a network of partners. We carry values of healthy competition and innovation. Indeed, some riders develop their own equipment and come to test it on the water. These are very positive values of sport in relation to the animation of a territory."
Endorse new types of records
To attract more followers, the speed base has also developed a multitude of challenges:
- Speed peak on a 500 mile straight line
- 1 mile speed record
- Hourly average speed record
- Record speed of maneuvers (gybe and turn)
- Record on a distance
"The record holder is Julien Bernard, who covered 211 km in a windsurfing session in February 2022. Florian Madec, national champion in foil windsurfing, also uses the speed base to test his equipment that he develops himself. He reached 32 knots over 1 mile."
A free and autonomous approach
To establish a record, you just have to create an account on the Speed Base website and upload your tracks, obtained during a session and recorded with a stopwatch, a phone, a GPSeuros Once uploaded, these tracks are automatically processed by a calculation tool, capable of extracting the best performances achieved during the session.
To encourage versatility, the Speed Base has agreed with the FFVoile 11 approved supports: windsurfing, foil windsurfing, wingfoil, kite, kitefoil, dinghy, foil dinghy, multihull, multihull with foil, habitable and sailing and rowing machines.
"The participants practice in complete autonomy and freedom. The rider goes out when he wants all year long on the support he wants as long as it works with the oar or the wind. He creates an account on the Speed Base, records his session with the device of his choice (GPS watch, phone...) and uploads his track on the site. Within a few minutes, his results are automatically integrated into the ranking table. We regularly monitor the new tracks to highlight the latest records and record holders. It is a healthy dematerialized competition without a fixed course but with a defined navigation zone. For Brest, this one is included from the roadstead to the entrance of the gully with an exclusion zone at the level of Ile Longue
Records on the water rewarded
Since the rapprochement with the FFVoile, the riders wishing to appear in the national ranking must have a sailing license. This is not necessary for the local ranking. Each base will establish its own local ranking and will organize its own award ceremony. A joint awards evening with the FFVoile will also be organized each year to reward the best participants at the national level.
"It is a friendly event that allows participants to get together. There are endowments that are given to the record holders generously donated by our local partnerseuros Until now, it has been a good-natured competition and with this rise to a national level, the competition may be more difficult. Nevertheless, we want to keep this spirit of healthy competition, without pressure, with fun and pleasure."
