LATEST CONTENDER FOR LUDERITZ’S SPEED CHALLENGE?

 

Windsurfing has been seen along the South African shorelines for many years and in recent times Kitesurfing has come along, and now our beaches are constantly in an array of colours and full of action thanks to these sports! Especially here in Lüderitz when the speed challenge comes around!

Our talented sailors have not often headed internationally to compete, and until now these sports were not fully recognised in the sailing world. However, things have changed due to the constant effort of a select few kitesurfers and windsurfers. They have been competing locally and internationally and flying our flag high during the past five years. In August 2009 Peter Lumney & Hennie Bredenkamp were the first windsurfers , and Sjoukje Bredenkamp the first Kitesurfer to receive Provincial Colours in South Africa through SAS (South African Sailing). All this combined has brought attention to the sport and encouraged the support of sponsors. Sjoukje Bredenkamp is one of the most dominant female professionals in kitesurfing in the Southern Hemisphere. She has in the past few years broken the Kitesurfing World Record 3 Times, and two of these attempts she broke the Outright Female Speed Sailing record for all sailing craft, making her the fastest woman on water ever, with an average speed of 85km/ ph; and is also a 5 Times World Record Holder.

Recently it has become apparent that Sjoukje and Hennie have begun another quest, this time to break the mythical 50knots barrier in speed sailing. Last yearduring a record attempt here in Luderitz where some of their previous records were set a French man named Sebastien Cattelan passed this amazing speed at 93km/ ph! At this year’s Record Attempt which is supposedly happening this November in Luderitz, Hennie hopes to be the first African to pass this mark and Sjoukje is setting her sights on being the first sailing woman to reach this speed!