Windsurfing Magazine

kristin
2009-12-07 15:26:08 | 1153 views | 0 Comments

A note from Jeffrey Brown (Freeskate # US 14) about Freeskating:

We are a group of dedicated icesailors where we use windsurfing sails & boards designed to sail across ice. Our sport has been around for many years, this being my 25th season. We call our sport “Iceboarding”, or “Freeskating” which was a name of a certain manufactured board in the 80-90’s.

Our sport has always been considered very fast, fun and perhaps a bit dangerous! This current season in New England, we have been having a fantastic year of smooth ice and strong winds.

Two weeks ago, I set a new GPS World Speed Record, being able to surpass any formerly recorded events. We all carry sophisticated GPS devices, gather data and then upload and analyze it on computer software. We then upload our results to a newly established International website called GPS Icesailing.

This past year has been quite an interesting round of events all around the world where sailors are posting their speeds on this website from their home countries.

OFFICIALLY, here are the statistics of new speed record:
• Sailing on a custom iceboard Freeskate, the new GPS Max. Speed is 64.6mph (103.96km)
• I sailed a sustained 100m distance run of 63.6mph (102.36 km) which is another record in itself
• I am now ranked #1 in the world for a “Freestanding rig ice-sled class” which covers all handheld windsurfer type craft on ice
• Location was Long Pond in Harwich/Brewster, MA., on Cape Cod, USA, on Feb 12, 2009
• Wind was 25-35knots southwest, temperature was 45 deg on slick hard spring ice

I think I could have gone faster if I only had more room, which I had 1/2 mile to work with! Rob Myles & Alex Wadson, both from Newport Rhode Island, were also present and sailing on Freeskates, hitting speeds runs into the mid 50mph ranges as well, now top the worlds GPS ranks in the same class.

History:
Two prior known official US speed records of 62mph had been set back in 1996 by Andy Berrgren clocked by radar, and again by myself in 2004 recorded on GPS. European sailors have unofficially stated runs to near 100km, but nothing higher was known.

About GPS Icesailing:
The new GPS Icesailing website is a spin off from the highly successful GPS Windsurfing and GPS Kitesurfing sister sites. These websites will make it possible for all sailors to use the same GPS timing format and be ranked worldwide. The world may now follow the results day by day and see who the fastest sailors are for each type of sport and craft sailed.

Visit for more info:
http://www.gps-icesailing.com/