Syroco vs SP80: The race to build the fastest sailboat in history

For over eight years, no one has been able to break the world sailing speed record.

In November 2012, Australian Paul Larsen set a record of 65.45 knots (121 km/h or 75 mph) in his Vestas Sailrocket 2 off Namibia’s coast in the South Atlantic.

Now, two competing teams—one from France and the other from Switzerland—are in a fierce race to build the fastest sailboat ever conceived.

One of the teams is led by the former world champion, and interestingly, two brothers are part of this rivalry—each on opposing teams.

Aiming for a comeback?

Alex Caizergues, 41, a four-time kite speed world champion from France, is no stranger to setting speed records on water.

In 2010, Caizergues made history by becoming the first person to break the 100 km/h barrier, sailing purely on wind power.

This achievement earned him a world speed sailing record, though his reign was short-lived, as fellow French kiteboarder Sebastien Cattelan surpassed him just days later.

Now, Alex Caizergues has assembled a team of extreme sports athletes, tech innovators, and investors to help him reclaim the title.

The science behind sailing without friction

The sirocco, a hot wind that sweeps across the Sahara, is famous among Mediterranean sailors. This powerful southeasterly breeze inspired the name for Caizergues' project.

Operating out of Marseille, the maritime tech startup Syroco is developing a wind-powered vessel designed to shatter the 80-knot barrier—equivalent to 150 km/h.

But to understand this innovation, forget everything you know about conventional sailboats.

Syroco's design is far from traditional: It’s a six-meter-long, fish-shaped capsule that’s towed by a kite.

The capsule floats a few feet above the water's surface, almost as if it's flying. A retractable arm connected to a submerged foil stabilizes and steers it, providing the only contact with the water.

Inside the capsule, two crew members must manage both the kite and the foil to maintain perfect balance and control—a challenge when racing across the sea at 80 knots.

Aerodynamics and fluid dynamics

Caizergues tells Dinogo Travel that he’s confident of attempting a world record in early 2022, provided everything goes according to plan.

Before that, Syroco will first test a radio-controlled model, a quarter of the size of the full-scale version, which is expected to be ready early this year.

Syroco’s striking, futuristic design is the result of deep research into aerodynamics and fluid dynamics.

The startup aims to leverage this engineering expertise to add significant value to the project, viewing the record-breaking attempt not just as a spectacle, but as the beginning of a much larger vision.

Ambitious vision

The vision is for Syroco to serve as a long-term driving force for innovation in maritime technology. 'We embrace the moonshot mentality; our goal is to push the boundaries of what's possible,' says Caizergues.

Syroco’s diverse group of founders and early investors includes tech venture capitalists from both France and Silicon Valley, a solo ocean yachtsman, and the co-founder of a NASDAQ-listed software company.

'It’s not just about breaking a record; it's about creating technologies that improve efficiency in the world of sailing,' says Yves de Montcheuil, one of Syroco's co-founders, while emphasizing the project’s environmental impact.

'Our work in areas like supercavitation has numerous industrial applications and could help the shipping industry cut emissions by improving fuel efficiency,' he adds.

Cavitation is a phenomenon that occurs when bubbles form around objects moving through water at high speeds. As pressure changes, these bubbles collapse, creating a shock wave that can damage surfaces, such as the propellers of ships.

Engineers have discovered how to harness cavitation, creating a bubble-like effect around underwater objects that reduces friction and enables them to achieve higher speeds. This technique, known as supercavitation, is used in advanced torpedoes and propellers.

Syroco plans to commercialize the insights and technology it gains from this research, such as developing computer simulations, and is already partnering with shipyards and other key players in the maritime industry to apply these innovations in industrial settings.

The competition heats up

One speculative idea is that this project could eventually evolve into a new sport—something like Formula One on water, where high-tech, superfast sailboats race against each other on a regular basis.

If that happens, Syroco could soon face a strong challenger in the form of the SP80, a project launched in 2019 by three graduates of Switzerland’s prestigious École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, which is also backing its development.

The SP80 team is based just a few hundred miles north of Syroco’s headquarters in Marseilles.

Although it shares some similarities with Syroco's design, the SP80’s central capsule doesn’t hover above the water but instead glides just above the surface, supported by two foils on either side.

Like breaking the sound barrier

'This is the innovative solution that helps overcome the cavitation problem,' says co-founder Mayeul van den Broek to Dinogo Travel. 'It’s one of the reasons conventional ships struggle to exceed 40 or 50 knots—it’s somewhat like trying to break the sound barrier in an airplane.'

The SP80 team is currently focused on breaking the speed record rather than developing long-term applications for its technology. However, like Syroco, it is targeting the 80-knot barrier within a similar timeframe.

'Of course we know each other,' says van den Broek when asked about the competition between the two teams, before revealing that SP80 co-founder Benoit Gaudiot is the brother of Syroco engineer Thomas Gaudiot.

'There’s definitely rivalry to break the record, but I think competition motivates both teams,' says van den Broek. 'It will also help spread the word and raise awareness about what we’re trying to achieve.'