Lüderitz Speed Challenge kicks off

The Minister of Environment and Tourism Hon Uahekua Herungua, officially opened the 7th Lüderitz Speed Challenge last week. The event take place from 07 October to 17 November. This event is an international tourism sporting event in which 19 nations including Australia, Germany, Russia and Namibia amongst others battled for the world championship and world records in kite-surfing and windsurfing. The injection of this event into the economy of Lüderitz, is estimated to be around N$1.5 million. The ministry has assisted the Lüderitz Speed Challenge by creating a channel in the second lagoon that allows the surfers to engage in their sport and break world records without being exposed to the natural choppyness of the open lagoon. In the second day of the event, 8 records where broken. This included Kitesurfer Taro Niehaus who smashed his South African record (held since 2011 on the channel) with 53.01 knots and Gautier Bourgeois, the youngest rider of the event, who had the best performance of the day with 47.32 knots. Australian Jacques Kint notched 45.76 knots. His colleague Tony Wynhoven surpassed him rapidly and achieved 47.23 knots. Belgian Alain de Gendt was growing in confidence and beating his own record with 44.94 knots. Croatian Boris Vujasinovic who joined the competition two days later, showed his skill by improving his record of last year reaching 46.33 knots. Alexander Goncharov achieved yet another new Ukrainian Record of 44.94 knots. Kite-surfing and windsurfing are only two of the adventure activities that Namibia offers to visitors. Lüderitz has become famous among the dedicated athletes as a venue that offers the ideal conditions to try and break world speed records.
In his opening remarks the minister expressed his disappointment that only one Namibian is amongst the competitors and urged the tourism capital of the south, Lüderit  to embrace the Speed Challenge and to do all it can to take this event to the next level.