The SP80 boat touched water for the first time on Lake Geneva The SP80 sailboat, aiming to reach 80 knots (150 kph) solely propulsed by the wind, was launched on Lake Geneva for a first session of towed tests.
After one week of testing, the team took the boat in its French base (Leucate) to prepare the first navigations with a kite.
The optimisation campaign will end by getting the kiteboat back into the workshop to have it fully ready for a record attempt in 2024.
It’s done! Our little rocket has left the workshop and hit the water for the first time. We were eager to watch her sail on Lake Geneva before sending her to south of France for further developments. In addition to being the culmination of years of work, this launch is the first step of a new adventure: after years behind our screens, it’s time to get practical!
Let’s recap one emotional week for the team.
The aim of our week on Lake Geneva was to tow the boat, measure its drag and compare these results with our previous computer predictions. We’ve also already been able to observe the boat’s behavior at over 30 knots!
« We still have a long way to go before we can claim the record, but we’re really pleased with this test session! The fact that the launch went so well is a big relief for the whole team, and now we can’t wait to attach a kite to the boat! »– Benoit Gaudiot, pilot and co-founder.
