SP 80 / Numbers of the month
46.745
In our last newsletter, we celebrated our very first run averaging over 40 knots — a major milestone, even if control was still a bit shaky.
In April, we made solid progress: we’re now consistently hitting speeds above 40 knots, with our pilots much more in control. And it shows on the record board — we clocked 46.745 knots (86 km/h) over 500 meters at the end of the month.
And because we’d love to bring you along for the ride, we’ve included the full run, as seen from our onboard cameras, at the end of this newsletter. Enjoy!
52.097
The more we managed to string together runs averaging over 40 knots, the more likely it became to hit a new top speed… we flirted with the 50-knot mark a couple of times, until finally reaching 52.097 knots (almost 100 km/h) in just 27 knots of wind at the end of the month.
It’s not a huge leap compared to last month’s 51 knots, but the real breakthrough here can be summed up in one word: consistency.
Last time, the acceleration was extremely abrupt: we had to release the kite shortly after hitting 51 and the average over 500 was only 35 knots. This time, we were in control: an average of 46 knots, with a few peaks around 50. That’s exactly what we’ve been aiming for — stability at high speed. Because at the end of the day, it’s the average speed that counts: the world sailing speed record is measured as an average over 500 meters.
One fun fact for the team: our kite pilot, Benoit, held a personal record of 51.58 knots in “traditional” kitesurfing …well, he finally got faster than that with the SP80 boat!
36.420
Just a few months ago, keeping the boat at high speed for nearly two kilometers felt out of reach. Now, we’re edging closer and closer to 40 knots on average — and that’s a milestone we can’t wait to hit.
essons of the month
OPTIMISING RUNS BASED ON WIND ANGLE
We’ve mentioned it before: it’s not just wind strength that matters — the wind angle is just as crucial, and sometimes just a few degrees off can change everything.
Our boat performs best with the wind coming at 100–110° relative to our heading. The challenge? If the wind shifts slightly more north or west, it becomes impossible to both optimize the boat’s performance and stay close to the beach — where the water is flatter and ideal for acceleration.
Our strategy? Be on the water for every breath of Tramontane, and wait patiently to launch runs at just the right moment. That approach paid off well in April, but we’re looking for solutions to make the boat a bit more versatile and perform better across different wind angles.
KITE LINES : FINDING THE RIGHT COMPROMISE
We’re continuing to fine-tune our kite line setup. Short lines reduce drag — which boosts high-speed performance — but they also make the kite too reactive, throwing the boat off balance during acceleration phases. The result: we sometimes have to stop a run prematurely to avoid overloading the structure.
Our strategy: reducing the kite’s reactivity by testing different line diameters and adding extensions to the lines made of different materials.
Thanks to our recent sessions on the water, we’ve been able to test multiple configurations, and we’re starting to land on a setup that works. We still need to confirm it during upcoming runs, but we’re on the right track!
OPTIMIZING WHAT’S HAPPENING UNDERWATER
With all these runs above 40 knots — and several peaks beyond 50 — we’ve been able to gather a wealth of data on what’s happening below the surface, especially around the foil and rudder.
After analyzing it all, a new lead for hydrodynamic optimization has emerged. We can’t share the details just yet… but what we can say is that the team is taking full advantage of the relatively calm start to May (no Tramontane!) to work intensively on the boat and test this idea as soon as the conditions allow.
SP46 | The full experience
