There’s a new team challenging the world sailing speed record, and to do so, they’re using a kite-powered sailboat.
The SP80 not only aims to surpass the current record of 68.3 knots, but it also plans to reach a staggering 80 knots, or approximately 92 mph.
The SP80 team chose a kite-inspired sail to help them break the world sail speed record.
SP80The team tested their one-of-a-kind sailboat at ever-increasing speeds off the coast of Leucate in the south of France. Initially planned to break the record there in 2025, deteriorating weather conditions forced him to change course.
The SP80 team was able to reach a top speed of 58 knots, making it the second fastest sailboat ever built.
In 2026, the team worked on the boat and raised funds for its next trip to Namibia, which offers some of the best speed-sailing conditions in the world: flat waters and strong winds.
It was in Namibia that Paul Larsen set the current sailing speed record, and where the SP80 team hopes to set a new one.
The SP80 boat looks more like a spaceship than a sailboat, with a trimaran design, a kite-inspired sail, two cockpits, two pilots and two steering wheels (one for the kite and one for the rudder).
The SP80’s trimaran design prioritizes stability while minimizing drag.
SP80The boat is purpose-built for the sailing equivalent of drag racing: going blazingly fast in a straight line. The team underwent specialized safety training at a facility used by helicopter pilots to practice escaping from tight spaces and an enclosed cockpit, even when submerged and upside down.
The team plans to travel to Namibia this summer, where they will stay until the end of the year, hoping to land that perfect breeze to a new world sailing speed record.
To see our hands-on look at the SP80 boat and interviews with the co-pilots about what it’s like to sail (and escape upside down), watch the video in this article.
