Windsurfer supremo Finian Maynard has done it again. This past weekend, on the wings of a 40-knot Mistral, blowing at a perfect 126 degree angle over the custom-designed French Trench, Maynard raised the sailing speed record yet again. His new number: 48.7 knots. Gulp. Karin Jaggi also set a new woman’s outright record at 41.25 knots. Maynard was not wearing a GPS on his record run, but you have to assume that at times he was flying along at 50-plus knots. So while the sailboat designers keep fiddling with their eccentric contraptions, Maynard is steadily heading toward the magical 50-knot barrier, one of the few monstrous challenges left in speed sailing. I’ve got my money on him…
Flying Finian: “Dum-de-dum. This is getting routine. Now, let’s see. What should I have for lunch today? And will it be Guinness or lager…?”
Skip to content
The Earthist Chronicles 