The fastest sailing boat in the world, l’Hydropère DCNS, is currently flying up the Pacific Coast to San Francisco to visit the America’s Cup and the world’s top sailors. The boat is taking a few days off from preparing to break the speed record from Los Angeles to Honolulu.
Arrival is estimated by end of day Tuesday, Aug. 21.
l’Hydroptère DCNS reached a sustained speed of 50.17 knots (58 mph) and top speed of 56 knots (64.4 mph) in 2009. Standing over nine stories tall, it combines aerospace and marine technologies, using hydrofoils and a newly developed stabilization system to lift the boat and attain stable, wind-powered high speeds on the open ocean. The boat and its name, conceived by French sailor Alain Thébault, comes from a pairing of the Greek words water (hydros) and wing (ptere).
The project’s principal sponsor and advanced technology supplier is DCNS Group, which is a leading global producer of naval defense and marine renewable energy systems headquartered in France.