It's a matter of common knowledge that windsurfers can achieve breathtaking speeds on water. The competition about the crowne of the fastest windpowered vessel lasts for years now. Hich tech speed yachts and windsurfers try to break the world speed sailing record likewise. Last year also the kitesurfers stepped into the ring...and currently own the record (see our news archive).
Setting new standards in the construction of high performance windsurf sails industry heavyweight NeilPryde have once again defied convention to publicise their new slalom foils, the RS:Slalom MKIII and the RS:Racing EvoII in a spectacular race.
Dubbed ‘Race Against the Machine’, NeilPryde plucked the cream of their international slalom team to race Hawaii’s super ferry named "Alakai" crossing the channel between the Hawaiian Islands Maui and Molokai - a competition between windpower and a 11.000 horsepower Diesel engine. A helicopter accompanied the fearless windsurfers, filmed the astonoshing race and documented that the 35 knots of the super ferry were not fast enough for the board sport athleets although high waves hindered the sailors to gain full speed.
Robby Swift (GB) one of the windsurfers about the race:
“We often test our NeilPryde Racing sails down at Kahului Harbour on the Island of Maui and so we see the Super Ferry flying in and out of there most days. I am not sure who it was that had the idea of chasing it around to take photos, but it was certainly a fun day out.
It was really windy so it was also very rough out there. Micah Buzianis (USA), Antoine Albeau (FRA), Pieter Biel (NED) and myself cruised out to wait for the ferry to make its way out into the shadow of the West Maui Mountains. We had Jason Polakow (AUS) on the jet ski chasing us for safety, but he turned out to be more of a liability to himself as he was thrown from the ski a couple of times, and only just managed to catch it up again, swimming for his life. You would not want to be lost at sea with no jet ski out there!
We basically chased the ferry all the way from Kahului round towards the Molokai channel. I think Micah said we sailed 80km that day, and it was all full, break-neck speed, very exciting to say the least: At one point the helicopter that was following us with the film crew managed to flatten me with its downdraft, leaving me floundering on my own, miles from anywhere. Luckily, the ferry switched course to go a little more downwind at that point, so I was able to catch back up again.”
Please watch the breathtaking video of the race here: www.neilpryde.de
Find amateure footage filmed from the super ferry here.
Your contact for more information and picture materials:
Miriam Kristen
Marketing & Communication
Pryde Group GmbH
Bergstrasse 7
D-82024 Taufkirchen
Tel: +49 (0)89 665049-40
