Speed is very much to the fore at the moment with a second private (invitation only) attempt taking place…

Its name : The Masters of Speed, the brainchild of one Finian Maynard, a real windsurf speed monster himself last time there were competitions in this discipline. As for the World Speed Sailing Challenge, there’s still plenty of windsurf but this time round no chance for kitesurfing with no official entry in the event (even if Thierry Bielak does kitesurfer too), the more so as it’s all going off on the speed canal at Saintes-Maries de la Mer, France, specially restored to working order for the occasion !

3 official attempt periods have already been designated : 20th October to 14th December, 5th February to 30th April 2004, plus sometime in the autumn of 2004 if the record still hasn’t been beaten. Because there’s one simple objective for this series : smashing the symbolic and hitherto unattainable 50 knot mark.

And among the contestants already announced is the said Thierry Bielak, fastest windsurfer in the world for the last 10 years with a record of 45.32 knots and who’ll be getting into the footstraps once again specially for the occasion…