In the heart of the Namibian desert, Lüderitz has become a sanctuary for speed enthusiasts on the water. Since 2007, the Lüderitz Speed Challenge has attracted the world's best windsurfers and kitesurfers, determined to break records. With a channel designed to maximize speed and winds averaging between 20 and 40 knots, this competition has become a kind of laboratory for sporting innovation. Some competitors have made history by exceeding the "mythical" 50 knots, a threshold once considered unattainable.
A laboratory channel designed for performance
Since 2007, Lüderitz has hosted the Lüderitz Speed Challenge, a sailing speed competition for kitesurfers and windsurfers organized under the aegis of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) and the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC).
Located on Namibia's Atlantic coast, this spot is swept by powerful, constant winds, an indispensable asset in the quest for speed records. But the success of the Lüderitz Speed Challenge is not only based on these exceptional natural conditions; it is also the result of infrastructures specially designed to maximize the athletes' speed. In 2007, the organizers of the Lüderitz Speed Challenge dug an artificial channel to enable riders to sail at an ideal angle to the wind.
With a width of 10 metres and a length of 800 metres, including launch and slow-down zones, the channel offers a perfectly flat water surface over the official 500 metres approved by the WSSRC. At the same time, the depth, which varies between 50 centimetres and one metre, has been calibrated to meet WSSRC requirements. To limit chop and ensure a smoother surface, wooden logs, known as "Chop Killers", have been installed. Every year, the organizers improve the channel in line with feedback from athletes and technological advances.
In 2008, work carried out on the "run" to improve the water surface and optimize gliding conditions, for example, resulted in an impressive 3 knot increase in kitesurfing performance.
Spectacular canal records
Since its construction, the Lüderitz canal has witnessed historic performances in the kite and windsurf disciplines. As early as the first edition of the Lüderitz Speed Challenge in 2007, records were set by kitesurfers who had barely entered the race, but were already 2nd in the world rankings: Frenchman Alexandre Caizergues achieved the best 500 m race at 47.92 knots, just 0.78 knots off the world record set in 2005 by Virgin Islands windsurfer Finian Maynard at the Masters of Speed.
The following year, in 2008, at the Lüderitz Speed Challenge, kitesurfing officially became the fastest machine on the water. It was then that kitesurfer Sébastien Cattelan crossed the 500 m at 50.26 knots, before Alexandre Caizergues achieved 50.57 knots the following day and set the new world record.
On the windsurfing side, the Lüderitz Speed Challenge also saw some spectacular performances, with the likes of Björn Dunkerbeck, Anders Bringdal and Patrik Diethelm also breaking the 50-knot barrier. This marked the end of the 50-knot race between kitesurfers and windsurfers, and the opening of the mythical 100 km/h frontier.
December 1, 2024 was one of the few record-breaking days in Lüderitz with the right wind and glide angle. Antoine Albeau put in one run after another, building up the power to finally reach 53.49 knots: the new windsurfing world record. The women's windsurfing world speed record is held by Jenna Gibson, a British windsurfer who reached a speed of 48.03 knots at the same 2024 edition.
At the same time, kitesurfing speed records on the Lüderitz canal continue to thrill kitesurfers. American Rob Douglas holds the men's record with a performance of 57.97 knots achieved in 2013. On the women's side, Frenchwoman Charlotte Consorti tops the Lüderitz rankings with 50.43 knots, a feat she achieved in 2010.
A human and technological challenge
Speed records don't just rely on the power of the wind. Athletes' equipment is constantly being optimized:
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Boards: extreme shapes designed to offer minimum resistance.
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Sails: the sails are stiffened and calibrated to avoid deformation at high speeds, a detail that can add several tenths of a knot.
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Wings: in kitesurfing, light and responsive, they are optimized to maintain constant traction in irregular winds, a crucial detail for reaching extreme speeds.
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Wetsuits: riders wear special wetsuits that reduce drag in the water and protect against impact at high speeds.
Athletes taking part in the Lüderitz Speed Challenge train for months on end to optimize every detail of their performance. The slightest error can jeopardize a record or cause a risky fall, as the numerous videos demonstrate. Despite this, every year new participants flock to the event, attracted by its prestige and adrenalin.
