Discussions of law, art, and contemporary culture tossed together with observations about Waco, Texas.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Sailing Speed Record: Columbus would be spinning
The Pinta.
Sailrocket 1 going into the air.
In the days of Christopher Columbus, the Pinta would have averaged 4.6 mph with a top speed of 9 mph. On November 24, 2012, the Sailrocket 2 (watch what happened to Sailrocket 1) the 40 ft. boat piloted by Paul Larsen (not the Medievalist), (unofficially) broke the world sailing speed record with an average speed of 74 mph and a peak speed of 77 mph. The boat is designed for only one thing, speed. There is no room for storage. The boat only travels one direction... you have to use a motor boat to pull it in and out of the marina. But, 100 years ago, it would have been inconceivable to imagine a sailboat traveling 2.5 times the speed of the wind.
The current record for crossing the Atlantic is 3 days, 15 hours, 25 minutes, held by Banque Populaire. It took Columbus about 70 days to cross the Atlantic.
The current record for crossing the Atlantic is 3 days, 15 hours, 25 minutes, held by Banque Populaire. It took Columbus about 70 days to cross the Atlantic.
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