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Monday 5th January, 2004
New Year Progress Summary
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Firstly,
may the Windjet Team wish a very happy new year and all the
very
best for 2004 to all our friends, supporters and
competitors!
2004
promises to be a very exciting year, with hot competition on
many
fronts. The Windsurfers are now hot on the heels of the
outright
world record while there are a number of other very credible
challengers
either currently testing or due to be launched during 2004,
not
to mention the current record holders who are continuing to
challenge
their own record with an all new craft 'Maquarie
Innovation'.
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windjet
at waddington |
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The
outright World Speed record on Water of 46.52 kts,
established in
October 1993 by Simon McKeon is now under great
threat!!
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windjet
"on ice" |
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Here
at Windjet, 2003 was a very busy year, starting with an
exciting
first two months touring Canada with the all-new Ice craft.
We learnt
a huge amount about the finer points of ice sailing and
exactly
what we need to do to break the mythical record of 143 mph.
Unfortunately
we never approached record speeds due to poor ice conditions
and
snow cover. Technically, however, the craft performed
superbly and
given the ever illusive combination of perfect wind and ice,
we
are confident the craft is capable of record breaking
speeds.
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blasting
a snow drift |
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Returning
from Canada, the craft was transformed back into road
configuration,
with a number of improvements and minor modifications. The
craft
returned to our UK land record location, RAF Waddington in
early
October and has been on standby ever since. So far this
winter,
it has been unseasonably calm, but we have managed to get out
for
a number of high speed test sessions, during which time the
craft
has demonstrated superb performance. The land craft now
reaches
our top speed zone in under one mile, leaving 2/3 of a mile
to optimise
controls and achieve a peak speed. As an example of
efficiency for
this new machine, we clocked 78 mph in only 13 kts of wind
and over
100 mph in 18 kts! We are very confident that this craft can
achieve
speeds in excess of the current 116 mph record at our current
location.
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ready
for the "go" signal |
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As
ever, we are being very secretive about the Windjet water
craft.
However, we can say that during 2003, in parallel to the land
craft
modifications, the water craft build programme continued in
earnest.
That process is now nearly complete and the vehicle will be
revealed
in the very near future. For those of you who have been so
eager
to know, the suspense will continue for a little longer I am
afraid!
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the
ice craft |
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To
summarise, after 5 hard years of research, design and
construction,
Windjet now has three complete vehicles capable of
challenging all
three records on land ice and water. The Land craft is
assembled
in perfect condition and awaiting wind, then there is a
summer of
water craft testing followed by an ice challenge in the
winter.
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the
cockpit |
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Wish
us luck!
Associated
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