Finian Maynard

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Finian in an interview at the surf opening in Podersdorf in 2005

Finian Maynard (born November 22, 1974 in Dublin , Ireland ) held the confirmed world speed record for sail-powered watercraft over a distance of 500 meters with a speed of 48.7 kn (90.2 km / h ). He is a two-time world record holder and four-time world champion in speed windsurfing (1998 to 2001) with the sail number KV-11 or BVI-11. Growing up on the Caribbean British Virgin Islands , he started windsurfing at the age of seven and competed in his first competitions at the age of 12. Maynard has been practicing his sport full-time since he was 16.

On November 13, 2004, Finian Maynard improved the 11 year unbroken world record for the fastest sail-powered watercraft on the Yellow Pages Endeavor catamaran to an average speed of 46.82 knots over 500 m. He improved this record on April 10, 2005 to the new world record of 48.7 kn (90.2 km / h); ratification by the World Sailing Speed ​​Record Council took place on April 11, 2005.

On March 5, 2008, the Frenchman Antoine Albeau beat this record with 49.09 kn.

The surf spot where all these records and also the previous windsurfing speed world record by Thierry Bielak were set in 1993 is located in the south of France and is known as "le canal" or the "French Trench". It is a 1,100 m long and 15 m wide canal on the beach at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer in the Camargue . The canal was specially developed for world record attempts in order to minimize the formation of waves on the water at extremely high wind speeds. Only in very shallow water is it possible to reach maximum top speeds. But there are also speed record attempts by windsurfers on the open sea. On October 15, 2005 Finian Maynard outbid at ISA Speed Windsurfing Grand Prix Tour 2005 in Walvis Bay in Namibia and the world record for the mile of 34.44 knots by Bjorn Dunkerbeck and set a new record of 39.97 kn. However, this record was brought back on October 31, 2006 by Dunkerbeck with 41.14 knots and in April 2007 with 41.69 knots it went back to a vessel with a fixed mast, namely the experimental yacht Hydroptère, sailed by Frenchman Alain Thebault .

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personal data
SURNAME Maynard, Finian
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Irish windsurfer
DATE OF BIRTH November 22, 1974
PLACE OF BIRTH Dublin