Ready for take off: The radical 'flying boat' hoping to cross the Pacific in record time



Hydroptere will try to break the Transpacific record when it sets sail in June



French-designed vessel already holds outright sailboat speed world record

Pioneering boat uses technology from aeronautic and marine industries

The world's fastest sailboat will attempt to achieve one of the greatest feats in the sport by breaking the Transpacific speed record crossing.



The state-of-the-art vessel Hydroptere has been dubbed 'the flying boat' as it combines leading technology from both the aeronautic and marine industries.



French yachtsman Alain Thébault, who designed the experimental boat, is leading the record-breaking attempt from Los Angeles to Honolulu.



Scroll down for video



Hydroptere, dubbed 'the flying boat', will aim to break the Transpacific speed record crossing

The state-of-the-art vessel combines leading technology from both the aeronautic and marine industries

How fast: The fastest sailboat in the world, it can reach speeds of over 95km per hour





The record is currently held by another French team who completed the 2,215-mile journey in five days and nine hours in July 1997.



The vessel and the rest of the team, architect Jean Nouvel, and teammates Jean Le Cam and Yves Palier, are currently in California preparing to launch the attempt.



They will set off at the end of May but have not set a date because it will depend on the perfect weather conditions.



The Hydroptere is able to achieve world-record speeds through its drag-minimising design.



The boat rises above the sea surface to eliminate resistance using its 'marine wings', which are under each of the floats of the trimaran. Its name is even taken from the Greek for water and wing.



Once the boat reaches ten knots, the underwater wings, generate an upward thrust to raise the boat like the wing of a plane.



The pioneering sailing team of (from left to right) Yves Parler, Alain Thébault and Jean Le Cam

The foils of the vessel withstand twice as much pressure as the wings of a jet fighter

The boat, pictured in front of San Francisco, already holds the outright sailboat speed world record

The hull and the floats then fly five metres above the sea surface and just 2.5 square metres of the boat is in contact with the water.



In feat of engineering, the ship's foils manage to withstand a huge amount of pressure, which is estimated to be twice as much pressure as the wings of a jet fighter.



The boat can accelerate from 20 to 45 knots in just ten seconds.



Hydroptere broke the outright sailboat speed world record in 2009 when it sustained a speed of 52.86 knots for 500metres in just 30 knots of wind.



The same year she broke the 50 knot barrier for a nautical mile in France.



Development on the extraordinary trimaran began more than 20 years ago and is made from carbon fibre and titanium.



Hydroptere, pictured under the Golden Gate Bridge, accelerates from 20 to 45 knots in just ten seconds

THE FRENCH 'THE FLYING BOAT'

When Hydroptere is in flight just two square metres of the vessel is in contact with the water.

It can reach a maximum speed of 56 knots and accelerate from 20 to 40 knots in just ten seconds.

The acceleration is faster than a 2 X 250 HP speedboat.

The vessel requires 12 knots to take off but can then travel at twice the wind speed.

It will launch a bid to break the Transpacific record at the beginning of June.



Mr Thébault said the team that has been put together is exceptional.



He said: 'Jean and Yves participated in the first flights of Hydroptere in the 90s. We made the first trials together and experienced unforgettable moments.

'Jacques Vincent joined me in 2005 and we crossed the 50 knot speed barrier together. He is an impressive helmsman.'



Mr Palier said they will be in period of 'stand-by' until June as they wait for the best weather.

He said: 'In June the position of the Pacific anticyclone is ideal because it provides the most direct route to Hawaii.

'The thermal wind is active in this season and we will quickly leave the California coast.



'Then we will surf the long Pacific swell downwind and we will probably have to make a gibe close the Hawaiian Islands.'



The sailors have their sights set of further records and want to break the average sailing speed barrier of 80 knots.



In the trimaran, the team also want to cross the Atlantic in three days and cross the barrier of one thousand nautical miles in 24 hours.



Mr Thébault said: 'We have considerable experience in the field of foils and high speed. With these three challenges, we have an ambitious program in the short, medium and long term.



'Technology, human adventure and pioneering spirit will always be the core of the project.'











