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Speed challenge still thrilling

Christophe Ballois (France) set a brand new Disabled World Speed Record (Kitesurf) with a superb and inspiring performance of 42.94 kts (80 kph)! Photograph by Bruno de Comarmond.

Christophe Ballois (France) set a brand new Disabled World Speed Record (Kitesurf) with a superb and inspiring performance of 42.94 kts (80 kph)! Photograph by Bruno de Comarmond.

Luderitz once again hosted the world’s premier speed sailing event this week. 34 riders represented 17 different nationalities in both the Windsurfing and Kite Surfing events. The event ended with 11 new national records and one world record.
Andrew Redfern from Fiji, Denis Vladimirow from Russia, Roger Ornvang from Sweden all improved their national records in kite surfing by raeching a speed of 80kph.
Franz Grabner from Austria broke the national record with 88 5 kph. Tge Czech Republic’s Marint Tóth broke his own record with 86.5 kph while South African mark Frinnel also set a national windsurf record while Alain de Gendt from Belgium fell short of a new Production Board Record with 46. 66 short of the magical 50 knots. Christian Bornemann also set the new record in Windsurfing at 90 kph.

Zoran Jovanovic (Serbia) set a new national record (Kite surfing) of 40.31kts (74.5 kph) while Patrick Diethelm (Italy) achieved the top windsurfing performance at the event by improving the Italian National Record with a very impressive 51.18 kts (94.7 kph) just 0.8 knots short of the World Windsurfing Record.
Leaders of the 2014 Event each received a fabulous Chris Benz Chrono 300m watch and they were; Patrik Diethelm (Italy) – set a new Italian Windsurfing Record (51.18 kts) and Sébastien Cattelan (France), twice Kite Surf World Record Holder achieved 53.90 kts (99.8 kph).
Excitement is already brewing for the next Lüderitz Speed Challenge in 2015 as the riders again hope to improve and shatter more records.
Currently this extreme water sport event is now firmly entrenched as the top speed sailing event in the world and has already appeared twice in the Guinness World Records Book.

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