Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Speed Dream



Record breaking project announced
Details of groundbreaking new design aimed at breaking world monohull records.

In 2008 world-renowned adventurer Richard Branson tried to break the current
transatlantic monohull sailing record of 6 days, 17 hours, 52 minutes, 39 seconds
on his 100’ Super-Maxi yacht Virgin Money, but had to abandon his attempt when
the boat started to break apart in the middle of the ocean.

So, is it possible to beat what Branson calls "one of the greatest records of all"?
Can a sailboat reach speeds in excess of 50 knots in stormy open-ocean conditions?
Is it possible to cover 1,000 miles in a single day under wind power alone? Can the
performance gap between offshore monohulls and multihulls be bridged?

Radical boat designer Vlad Murnikov believes the answer to all of these questions is
yes and is assembling a new international team of designers, engineers,
adventurers, and sponsors to prove it. "The SpeedDream Team," says Murnikov,
"will comprise specialists with diverse expertise in offshore racing yachts like Volvo 70 and Open 60, multihull and powerboat design, hydrodynamics, structural
engineering, and advanced composites." -