The Canal
Encyclopedia
The Saintes Maries de la Mer Speed Canal, known to windsurfers
as The Canal, is a man-made trench near the French
Mediterranean
coastal town Saintes Maries de la Mer
, built especially for speed record breaking sailing by windsurfers.
The Canal, also called The French Trench by the English-speaking
community of Windsurfers, is 1,100 metres long and 30 metres wide, in a West-Northwest/East-Southeast orientation planned to take advantage of the Marin
and Mistral
winds that blow in that location.
Three consecutive Outright Speed Sailing Records, measured on a 500 metre course, were set on The Canal by windsurfers in 2004, 2005 and 2008:
In October 2008, The Canal's leading position on the world sailing map was taken by the Lüderitz Speed Challenge
in Namibia
, when the "holy grail" 50-knot barrier of speed sailing was first broken by a kitesurfer.
Windsurfing
Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...
as The Canal, is a man-made trench near the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
coastal town Saintes Maries de la Mer
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is the capital of the Camargue in the south of France. It is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department by the Mediterranean Sea. Population: 2,478...
, built especially for speed record breaking sailing by windsurfers.
The Canal, also called The French Trench by the English-speaking
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
community of Windsurfers, is 1,100 metres long and 30 metres wide, in a West-Northwest/East-Southeast orientation planned to take advantage of the Marin
Marin (wind)
The Marin is a warm, moist wind in the Gulf of Lion of France, blowing from the southeast or south-southeast onto the coast of Languedoc and Roussillon. It brings rain to this region which it has picked up crossing the Mediterranean, and also can bring coastal fog...
and Mistral
Mistral (wind)
The mistral is a strong, cold and usually dry regional wind in France, coming from the north or northwest, which accelerates when it passes through the valleys of the Rhone and the Durance Rivers to the coast of the Mediterranean around the Camargue region. It affects the northeast of the plain...
winds that blow in that location.
Three consecutive Outright Speed Sailing Records, measured on a 500 metre course, were set on The Canal by windsurfers in 2004, 2005 and 2008:
- 49.09 knots (90.91 Km/h - 56.49 mph) by FrenchFrench peopleThe French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
windsurfer Antoine AlbeauAntoine AlbeauAntoine Albeau is a French windsurfer who holds eleven Windsurfing World Championships in different disciplines since 1994.Born on June 17, 1972 in La Rochelle, France, Albeau set a new all–category world windpowered sailing speed record on March 5, 2008 with 49.09 knots on a 500 meter course at...
, in March 2008. - The previous two records were held by the IrishIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
born windsurfer Finian MaynardFinian MaynardFinian Maynard is a six-time speed windsurfing world champion and held the absolute 500m sailing speed record for sailing vessels from late 2004 until early 2008....
, who competes for the British Virgin IslandsBritish Virgin IslandsThe Virgin Islands, often called the British Virgin Islands , is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union, located in the Caribbean to the east of Puerto Rico. The islands make up part of the Virgin Islands archipelago, the remaining islands constituting the U.S...
, also on The Canal:- A 48.70 knots record set on 10 April 2005,
- A 46.82 knots record (24.08 m/s or 53.88 mph) set on the 13 November 2004.
In October 2008, The Canal's leading position on the world sailing map was taken by the Lüderitz Speed Challenge
Lüderitz Speed Challenge
The Lüderitz Speed Challenge is an annual speed sailing event, held since 2007 in Lüderitz, Namibia, in the southern hemisphere spring. The event is organised by ESF Events, managed and owned by Frederic Dasse and French kitesurfer Sebastien Cattelan, and is observed by the World Sailing Speed...
in Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
, when the "holy grail" 50-knot barrier of speed sailing was first broken by a kitesurfer.