More than 200 km/h powered by the wind
Horonuku, which means "gliding rapidly across the land", has just set the land speed record for sailing. On Lake Gairdner, South Australia, the craft was flashed at 222.4 km/h with 22 knots of wind on December 12, 2022. The last record was set by Richard Jenkins with a speed of 202.9 km/h, recorded on March 29, 2009.
Glenn Ashby, who was at the controls of the boat, believes he can go even faster with better conditions and more wind. The official homologation of the record must first be done by the international governing body FISLY, Fédération Internationale de Sand et Land Yachting.
Pushing the speed limits in sailing
The initial idea of the project is not simply to break a record, but to push the limits and go as fast as possible. Glenn Ashby summarizes: "We know we can go faster, so we're going to do it. What originally looked like a good day with 20 to 22 knots of wind all day ended up not providing the wind we needed."
A GPS records GNSS, Global Navigation Satellite System, differential data, which provides 21 data points over a two-second recording period. Each of these points provides a position estimate that allows for a two-second average speed.
Finding the foundation for tomorrow's technology
Matteo de Nora, Director of Emirates Team New Zealand explains: "The Land Speed project is another opportunity to push the boundaries in the areas of aerodynamics, structural forces, construction methods and materials. These technologies that we are exploring in challenges like this or on the America's Cup are the foundations of tomorrow's technology."
With the weather conditions not expected to be optimal in the coming weeks, Emirates Team New Zealand should attempt a new record in 2023.
