New speed record

The team on CQS worked relentlessly to get the maximum out of the boat, reporting during the race, “the spinnaker staysail has just gone up, the CQS crew have now flown all bar the trisail during this race and some several times, 9 in total”.

Ludde and his crew finished 3 hours, 31 minutes, 25 seconds ahead of second placed Hyundai, another 100 foot super maxi, to achieve the line honours/record double.

As they approached the finishing line, Ludde handed the helm to his long time friend Ola Anstradsson “recognition of his logistical expertise, his pit work and watch captain brilliance and his cooking heroics.”

Ludde had at 21:19:23 on it, but crossed the line already at 20:51:35 and thus took a superior line females and new speed record for monohulls. The record for multihulls, the Swedish trimaran HiQ.

The recipe to be the fastest ever from Stockholm flow, around Gotland and back to Sandhamn? Build a stunning, hundred-foot-long super-maxi in Australia is packed with the latest technology race, sailing since childhood, building a team of sailors who find every meter of the race counts, take the boat across the globe. Sail on top of yours, the crew and the boat’s capability.

“I am very happy. The wind died and we were stuck one hour at Alma and thought we would not make it. But you’ll be lucky too. The wind came and we were able to cross the finish line about 20 minutes before the deadline,” said a satisfied Ludde Ingvall at the finish.

CQS is built as a large archipelago cruiser, long and narrow. She also has underwater wings or foils, which helps to raise the boat and thus reduce friction with the water. In addition, she has a canting keel. In all, she sticks her six-metres underwater, so navigation through the archipelago was exciting.

“It was an amazing experience to sail through the Swedish forests, tight and close to both boats in the area and country. I am grateful that I have such fantastic crew who mastered all aspects of sailing to the fullest.”

Besides speed record in the Round Gotland / ÅF Offshore Race Ludde Ingvall has an extensive track record with two victories in the Sydney-Hobart and one in the UK Fastnet Race.

He hold the speed record across the Atlantic, for monohulls and was also captain of the Finnish UBF in the Whitbread Round the World Race 1989/90.

www.bigboatracing.com