MACH3 Luderitz speed special in action
The Luderitz Speed Challenge in Namibia is still at full swing and after some recent nuking windy days, nearly all of the riders using our Mach3 speed sails have broken their national record!
Gunnar Asmussen improves his German speed record with a 52.26 knot run
Despite the improvement of the German record, Gunnar was aiming for the world record. Here is what he said about the recent windy day: “Not a good day for me. I felt really weak on the day and couldn’t show my top speeds. The wind was good sometimes, but you needed to be lucky to get a strong gust all the way down the canal. My fin pressure was always dying 100m in front of the finish due to a big hole. I ended up the day with a massive crash where I destroyed all my gear with almost 100kmh. I also twisted my foot, which spelled a few days off for me but I’ll be back on top for the next one.”
Twan Verseput takes the dutch record 52-49 knot run
Twan reports from the Luderitz Speed Challenge: “Sunday already started with lots of wind, and around 2 pm it picked up big time with gusts of 60/65kn coming through. Although it was super windy the angle was only okay for good speeds for about 20 minutes. All of the fastest speeds were done in this time window. I used the 5.2 Mach3 speed with a 40cm AV boards speed with a 19cm fin. I improved the Dutch record to 52.49 on 500m and peaked 55.9 knots. The new Mach3 Speed sails are working amazing and the conditions were not easy. It was bumpy and a bit too broad on the run.”
Pep Bonet improves the Spanish record with a 50.88 knot run
Spanish rider Pep Bonet was among the guys taking a new record on the new Mach3 speed sails. He had this to say about his record-breaking day: “Super happy to have set again a new Spanish Speed record! It happened yesterday on a light wind day, I was on the Severne 5,5 and the new Patrik 37 with a new record of 50,88 knots average speed on 500 meters, still under the ratification of WSSRC.“
Karo Van Tonder sets the female South African record with a 44,55 knot run
Recovering from injury, Karo worked her way back on the canal to improve the South African record by more than 3 knots. Here is what Karo had to say:
“After sustaining a serious shoulder dislocation injury last year at Luderitz, I was not sure how far I would be able to climb up the ranks this year. With only 3 months after my shoulder operation to prepare for the event, I put in hours of hard work to get the shoulder working again just in time.
During my two weeks at Luderitz, to my great surprise, I managed to break the South African speed record from 41.3 knots to 44.55 knots average over 500m (just 2 knots away from the world record)! This speed also got me into 5th world speed ranking for women! Throughout my time in Luderitz, I remained on my Mach3 5.0 Severne sail and my 37cm Wide AV Speed board.
The day I broke my record to 44.55 knots the wind had picked up to 45 knots average and I had to load up with 10 kg of lead weight. I’m so stoked with the speeds that I could accomplish this year with the amazing help from my dad and with my world class speed sail and board. I found that the Mach3 Luderitz edition speed sail had an immense amount of stability, power, and acceleration. Weighing under 60kgs and holding onto a 5.0 sail in 45 knots of wind gusting 50 down a narrow shallow channel, requires that you trust your gear 200%. I would not have been able to do this without my amazing Mach3 sail! Thank you, Severne for always making sure we have the best tools in the world to break the records! Thank you to Raffaello Gardelli from Surf’n’curve for organizing such a world class event and for designing the channel in such a way that we can go faster and faster every year!
A big thank you to my amazing sponsors who support me so much: Severne Sails, AV boards, Gasoil fins, Nashua Paarl & West Coast, Surf’n’ curve Windsurfing Performance“
Anne Schindler GER-179 breaks the German female speed record
Anne reports from the Luderitz Speed Challenge:
It was around May after the Defi Wind when Bjorn & Victor proposed to send me to Lüderitz to break the female German Speed Record. 38.01knots average on 500m
I was dreaming to attend the Lüderitz Speed Challenge since 2017 when I got my first Vice-world champion Title in the Dunkerbeck Speed Challenge. But still wasn’t sure if I can do it but Björn, Victor & Alberto Possatti from AV-Boards had no doubts that this record will fall.
Dunkerbeck Windsurf Center got me a great material for Training and I went sailing with them at the Gran Canaria Speed Spot almost every day with brand new Severne Mach1 Sails and a 4.5m Overdrive. They also send me to do several exercises to do which had no sense for me in that time but worked out straight in the Canal.
After 2.5 days of travel, I arrived in Lüderitz and went directly to the canal. The first impression was a shock! The canal looked way smaller than I saw it in the videos especially the part where to stop. To calm down I decided to walk the canal but didn’t really help because I saw that it’s not only narrow– it’s also quite shallow.
Have to admit that the smallest fin I normally use is 25 cm. But for the canal I had a 19 & 18 cm fin so the depth was totally ok and also checked by the WSSRC – Michael Ellison.
I was very lucky with the wind conditions – starting light and could practice and earn confidence- that I managed to go every day 2 knots faster. I was on Severne Mach1 5.2m & the brand new Mach3 Lüderitz edition + 38 AV-Board and a 19cm Z-Fin.
The 5th day was supposed a strong wind day. I got my 5.0m Mach3 and 4.5m Overdrive ready. We started early and for each run I put 2 more kg of led on.
Really gusty wind made the start quite tricky. Trying to get on a 38cm wide board with 6 additional kg of led in your vest. Big guns like Bjorn Dunkerbeck or Gunnar Asmussen behind you waiting their turn and if you fail the start you have to go back to the end of the cue waiting 30 minutes for your next try. No pressure!!- I managed to forget all around me, stayed calm and selected well the gust.
Wind picked up and I could feel the momentum of the 6kg extra weight and the pressure in the sail. Was an incredible feeling how controlled I run down the canal in 45 knots of wind with my 5.0m Mach3
Full throttle I passed the finish camera pushed the sail down and stopped. Still with my foot in the straps the board got hit by a gust, flipped away and bended my ankle. Could not walk anymore but checking my watch was more important. And yes! In that run I achieved 42,89 knots average on 500m with a peak of 45,29 knots = 83,88 km/h.
After that run had to finish my record chase due to my injury but went home with the new female German speed record of 42.81 knots (need to be ratified by WSSCR) and super stoked to have achieved all my goals.
This was probably the extreamest thing I ever did in my live but thanks to people like Bjorn and my partner Victor who believed in me, Severne Sails + AV-Boards providing me fast material and Dunkerbeck Windsurf Center training me- I managed in only 5 days on the water do go 42.81 knots over 500m and to get the female German Speed Record.
The event, the riders and the spirit were unique and very special- everybody was helping and sharing their experiences with the newcomer. Just awesome – thanks to Raffi for the great Event organisation and all the others for this wonderful and intense time in Namibia.
Thanks to all my Supporters and Sponsors:
Severne Sails, AV-Boards, Dunkerbeck Windsurf Center, Bjorn Dunkerbeck, Victor Couto, Alberto Posssatti, Aurelio Verdi, Raffallo Gardelli, Christine & Karl Schindler and Fuerte Action providing stylish clothing
You can always stay up to date with the latest news from the Luderitz Speed Challenge in Namibia by visiting their Facebook page.
Photos by:
STEFAN CSÁKY
www.csaky.at