Week 6 & 2015 Overview
The 2015 CHRIS BENZ LÜDERITZ SPEED CHALLENGE EVENT
HAS BEEN AN OUTRIGHT SUCCESS WITH NO LESS THAN
TWO WORLD RECORDS, MANY NATIONAL RECORDS AND MANY PERSONAL BEST’S SMASHED!
In Lüderitz, during WEEK 6, the final week of competition, good winds have blown every single day.
After the two World Records and many other top National performances achieved during Week 5, conditions have allowed the riders to keep going and further improve through extraordinary wind statistics.
Mentally and physically, these top class riders have given their all and more! They have had to master all their skills, experience, fine tuning of equipment to tame the famous winds of Lüderitz and of course, to master the famous Lüderitz Speed Canal.
The canal preparations for the 2015 event proved anything but the *norm* for the Champion and channel developer Sebastien Cattelan. The already almost perfect channel was then badly damaged by an unusual high tide which then forced Sebastien and his small crew to work all available hours to get the canal right again – which they did. This year’s event proved that the word *impossible* doesn’t exist. The organization was hugely supported by its loyal sponsors who have provided maximum support (& beyond) to ensure that speed sailing History would once again be achieved. And, what a year 2015 has turned out to be!
This extreme event survives to satisfy hopes and dreams but is ultimately controlled by unpredictable conditions. It makes each and every outstanding performance that much more special and extraordinary…The ultimate success of the 2015 event was only made possible with the positive mental attitude and extra-human energy of all those determined to take their own skills and experience to the next level – well done to all the successful riders!
ONLY due to 8 years of solid Research & Development by Sebastien Cattelan, Sophie Routaboul and their close team of professionals, has allowed this, the 9th Lüderitz Speed Challenge to overcome all obstacles and be an outstanding success.
The limits are being pushed further and further every year – speeds achieved this year are nothing less than incredible. Once again, another ultra-performance level has been reached in Speed Sailing.
2015 Chris Benz Lüderitz Speed Challenge delivered;
6 World Records
35 National Records
31 Personal Bests
2 WORLD RECORD & 9 NEW National Records
Karin Jaggi, who broke her Swiss Record no less than 7 times, is now the NEW World Record Holder in Windsurfing with an awesome 31 kts!
Antoine Albeau, who also set new National French Records, broke his own World Record no less than 5 times in Windsurfing, and finally achieved an astonishing 27 kts/98.55kph! (so close to the *monumental* 100kph)
Martin Hulinsky (Czech Republic) set a new Kitesurfing Record with 43.52 kts (improved 5 times) – 1st participation
Boris Vujasinovic (Croatia) broke his record 5 times – ended with 48.99 kts
Christian Bornemann, kept his German record with a new speed of 50.20 kts
Andrew Redfern (Fiji) broke his national record 2 times and finally achieved 41.89 kts
Farrel O’Shea (GBR) broke his British Record no less than 4x and achieved an amazing 51.20 kts
The Namibian Record in Windsurfing (was broken 3 times) by Matthias Rottcher with 50.91 kts.
Patrik Diethelm, now #2 speed sailor in the world, improved his Italian Record twice, ending up with a blistering 52.33 kts
A new South African Record in Windsurfing, was achieved by Mark Grinnell with a very determined 51.83 kts (now #3 in the World Ranking)
2 NEW National Records – Production Boards
Jim Cloarec (FRA) > 48.38 kts
Francesco d’Urso (ITA) > 47.09 kts
11 riders have broken their Personal Bests
Heidi Ulrich (Suisse) > 37.21 kts (improved 3 times) – 1st participation
Sylvain Hoceini (France – Kite surfing) > 53.04 kts
Thierry Bielak (France) > 49.94 kts (improved 3 times) – Ultimate World Record Holder & windsurfing legend of the 90’s
Christophe Richaud (France) > 49.28 kts (improved 4 times)
Manfred Merle (Germany) > 48.62 kts (improved 2 times)
Laurent Fesquet (France) > 48.45 kts (improved 3 times) – 1st participation
Christian Maillet (France) > 41.65 kts (improved 4 times) – 1st participation
Raffaello Gardelli (Sweden) > 48.57 kts (improved 3 times)
Alberto Possati (Italy) > 47.11 kts (now #2 in Italy)
Erik Beale (GBR) > 49.74 kts (improved 5 times) – Ultimate World Record Holder & windsurfing legend of the 80’s/1st to 40kts
Christian Benzing (Germany) > 46.11 kts (improved 2 times)
HUGE congratulations to all the riders for their outstanding performances!
At the CLOSING CEREMONY held on Sunday 15.11.15 at the multiple award winning Lüderitz Nest Hotel & major sponsor since 2012, Chris Benz personally offered 3 Chris Benz Chronograph watches to the event’s category winners:
Antoine Albeau, winner in Windsurfing with 53.27 kts – 22 times World Champion.
Karin Jaggi, winner in Windsurfing (Ladies) with 46.31 kts – 29 World Titles.
Sebastien Cattelan, winner in Kitesurfing with 53.66 kts -1st to 50 & 55 kts/ 2 times Ultimate World Record Holder.
