Wot Rocket eases into testing program

With a huge high pressure system blanketing the NSW coast early last month, Wot Rocket creator and pilot Sean Langman, co-pilot Martin Thompson and their support crew didn't see much over eight knots across flat water, perfect conditions for easing into the testing program, but frustrating nonetheless for the two adrenalin junkies.

"I know I'm supposed to be cautious...but I'd love 30kts of breeze," admitted Langman at the end of the second day of light-air testing off Kurnell in Sydney's south. "Wot Rocket was designed for 20 to 25kts so...we've been well outside our design space. It's been a good opportunity to learn to drive it and recover it.

"I'm surprised it's going as well as it is in this breeze. It's akin to getting a formula one race car and putting it on a rally track," Langman said.

The crew spent two days practising the basics including steering, sheeting the carbon fibre wing sail on and off, and recovering and towing Wot Rocket with a support vessel.

While the design and building materials are super high-tech, some old fashioned practicalities had to be deployed by the crew.

When the entire craft lifts up out of the water on its foils, supercavitation is expected to propel Wot Rocket forward at awesome speeds giving Langman, Thompson and project partner Graeme Wood a serious chance at bettering the current world speed sailing record of 49.09kts with less than half the wind strength French sailboarder Antoine Albeau capitalised on when he established the current record back in March.

Langman hopes to be back on the water soon for a second round of testing with an official attempt likely to occur in the winter months when solid westerlies typically hit Sydney.