The Canal

For other uses, see Canal (disambiguation).

Coordinates: 43°27′39″N 4°27′52″E / 43.460972°N 4.464355°E / 43.460972; 4.464355 (The Canal)

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.[1][2]

The Canal, also called The French Trench[3] by the English-speaking community of Windsurfers, is 1,100 metres long and 30 metres wide,[4] in a West-Northwest/East-Southeast orientation designed 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.[7]

See also

References

  1. "Les Saintes Maries de la Mer". provenceweb.fr.
  2. "Oups !". Adonnante.com - Surfez sur l'Actualité Voile Sportive - Course au Large - America's Cup - Voile Légère.
  3. "Redefining What A Media Company Can Be - Bonnier Corporation". Bonnier Corporation.
  4. http://www.continentseven.com/news2.php?newsid=386
  5. Administrator. "WSSR Newsletter No 101". sailspeedrecords.com.
  6. http://www.sailspeedrecords.com/500.html Archived October 13, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  7. "Luderitz Speed Challenge 2008". www.luderitz-speed.com. Retrieved 2008-10-06.
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