Lüderitz Speed Challenge: Storm forecast - will the record be broken this week?

After a few windy days at the start of this year's Lüderitz Speed Challenge, including a new German record (45.72 knots) by Melek Toraman, it has been surprisingly quiet on site since then. For ten long days, the speed freaks who had travelled to the event languished in Namibia's scorching desert sun. But now the wind system is set to get going again - and how! Stormy winds are forecast from Wednesday and the riders are just waiting to be let off the chain again.

Thanks to local reinforcements, the forecast 35 knots should easily become 45. However, everything has to be right for the record to be broken. According to current record holder Antoine Albeau, 50 knots of wind and, above all, the right angle are required: "The ideal angle is slightly less than 180 degrees, i.e. slightly south-southeast. If, on the other hand, the wind has a slight westerly tendency of more than 180 degrees, you are sailing a very deep beam reach. That's great in principle, but unfortunately the wind then pushes too many waves through the channel. That's maybe 20 centimetres, but then it becomes very dangerous because you can get spinouts and crash," says Albeau, explaining the lottery.

Also because the canal does not appear to have been dredged particularly deep this year, many participants have respect for the chops. No wonder, because descending into 50 centimetres of water at 100 km/h is not for the faint-hearted.

In this context, the very entertaining and interesting podcast with Antoine Albeau, which host Ben Proffitt from Windsurfing.tv recently recorded with him, should also be mentioned. Be sure to watch it!

Of course, you can read all the latest news about what's happening in Lüderitz here on our website!

Also interesting:

• Melek Toraman improves the German record
• Lüderitz Speed Challenge 2022 - a look back