Warning to all on the Pacific coast

[Tomahawk]

There is something very odd and just an awful lot scary heading up the west coast..

It is presently on a ship

And it is French

THE PHOTOS :: L'HYDROPTÈRE - Alain Thébault

[Tomahawk]

The reason that it is on the West Coast is that they are going to attempt the trans pacific record..

Flying a hydrofoil at up to 40 kts across the Pacific Ocean... Are they mad or just French?

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Tomahawk

The reason that it is on the West Coast is that they are going to attempt the trans pacific record..

Flying a hydrofoil at up to 40 kts across the Pacific Ocean... Are they mad or just French?

with all the debris still floating around the north pacific from the tsunami,they might be better off using a hovercraft rather than a hydofoil,but as they say in france "bon chance!"

[David M]

That's pretty cool. I wish them the best.

[cwyckham]

Originally Posted by Tomahawk

The reason that it is on the West Coast is that they are going to attempt the trans pacific record..

Flying a hydrofoil at up to 40 kts across the Pacific Ocean... Are they mad or just French?

What are the start and end points for the record?

[Cavalier MK2]

Does Lloyds insure them? I'd hate to be an honest underwriter with the debris showing up now.....

[Sir G]

cwyckham: LA to Honolulu, current record (2008) is 3 days, 22 hours, 27 minutes (Lemonchois aboard Gitana 13)

atoll: we spell it "bonne chance" (sounds the same to you I'm sure)

There's a few pics and a video here:
http://www.allboatsavenue.com/hydrop...alain-thebault
sorry, the site is in French

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Sir G

cwyckham: LA to Honolulu, current record (2008) is 3 days, 22 hours, 27 minutes (Lemonchois aboard Gitana 13)

atoll: we spell it "bonne chance" (sounds the same to you I'm sure)

There's a few pics and a video here:
http://www.allboatsavenue.com/hydrop...alain-thebault
sorry, the site is in French

dakor! mon vieux sausison!

(i've been told before that my french is not so much spoken but inflicted!)

[Andrew Troup]

Well, it's a pretty safe bet they won't be fairing pipi over the side much.

(My brother asked me how an opponent could always tell when the French were about to tack in the America's Cup?
His answer: They would all stand up, stub out their Gauloises, and chuck the butts in the tide.

Ahh, those were the days...)


All jokes aside: Alors, enfants de la patrie, faites de la belle voile !

And make Éric proud.

[ArtM]

WOWEE

[impi]

Unbelievable ... French boats are good!
I think someone sent me a utube clip of this boat a while back ... Mind boggling

[Tomahawk]

Here is a link to their webpage.

Home :: L'HYDROPTÈRE - Alain Thébault

Alain Therbauld has been working on this boat since he was a teenager. He holds the outright world sailing speed record and was the first boat through the magic 50 kt barrier... More impressive than that, Hydroptieere sails (flys) in heavy seas!!! All the other speed record attempt boats can only do it on one tack and in the "right" conditions..

[sparau]

how do they avoid hitting something?

i assume even a decent log at that speed could be somewhat troublesome.

or are they just plain crazy, with one hell of a boat.

[Tomahawk]

Originally Posted by sparau

......

or are they just plain crazy, with one hell of a boat.

Hhmmm When you think about it ?

You can barefoot waterski at 40kts!! This thing is going up to 50 !! If you fell of the platform you would bounce... then break... I think stark staring bonkers comes somewhere near...

But what an incredible thing to have done?
The magic 50 kt barrier has been challenged for the past 40 years. I remember excotic looking speed machines being tried out back in the 70's. They could only "sail" in exactly the right conditions. No one could build a boat that could take on waves that come with the wind needed to go that fast... Thebauld has been working on design after design for half his life... so I guess again you can say crazy to be that single minded...

And one hell of a boat...