22.2knots in an Albacore

Hi Guys,

The discussion is interesting and more civil than some that have been read on another website. In the B14s we now have several Velocitek S10s and though they require regular battery changes, do give us accurate information. WE are also running Garmin Foretrex 201s and find they are also providing good data. The processing of the info is very easy via the velocitek unit. We raced last weekend in a force 5 gusting 6 and our top sustained speeds across the fleet was 18.9 knots on both types of units.

Last year we had a sustained speed of 26.2 knots at the Grafham Grand Prix and 28.1 knots with tide at the Starcross Steamer (see the B14 Readycrest) in the B14 calender on fotoboat. Usually bad reports occur due to the wrong placing of the GPS butsometimes you can get a spike but this is incredibly rare on the water. If indeed the Albacore speed is correct, it will be near impossible to beat due to the boat's handicap but if the wind is up and water flat enough (chop/swell waves slow hte baot down at top speed as sailing through over them), the B14 Class Association will have a crack at sneaking the top slot. Second last year to the RS300 gybing down a wave and clocking 23.1 knots from its boom.

Anyway a great bit of fun and self publicity and should be take in the light hearted manner it is meant to be.

Bye for now - Barnsie  - B14 768 - Se avolution

These are the comments from another (capable) Brit who was in the Albacore Worlds.

"I've no idea.  The two fastest times were the past and present world champions.  The gps units were provided by a 3rd party who supplies the unit, not the boat owners, so they were about as independent as they get.  It was very windy F6 I guess and there were some reasonable waves, although not huge as it was off the land.  The tide was never very strong, less than 0.5 knots.  We didn't get out to the race area where it was the windiest as we were turned back for the abandonment of the race before we got there.  I helmed upwind on the way back and it was pretty tough going."