L’Hydroptère is now considered the fastest boat on the planet over 1 nautical mile. Hydrofoil trimaran also sets a new world speed record of 50.17 knots (92.91 km/h), a wonderful gift from Alain Thébault, Thierry Lombard and their team to their new sponsor, Audemars Piguet.

Barely two months after crossing the magical 50-knot brink, the equivalent of breaking the sound barrier in aviation, l’Hydroptère confirmed its status as the planet’s fastest flying trimaran, beating the world record at an average speed of 50.17 knots over one nautical mile (92.91 km/h). Alain Thébault and his ten-man crew achieved this feat at their speed base in Hyères on Sunday, November 8th, in a 28-knot northwesterly wind. L’Hydroptère has now capped off a fantastic series of records posted in the Mediterranean and has set a new benchmark in the world of sailing.

“For 30 years, passion and daring have carried me forward, but this victory really belongs to our indomitable, tight-knit team. The historic record of more than 50 knots over one nautical mile is powerful, because it lies at the frontier between the twin capacities of this extraordinary flying trimaran that is both a high-speed craft and an ocean-going sailboat. Our team now holds the top two speed records in the world, 51.36 knots over 500 metres and 50.17 knots over one nautical mile, and we can now concentrate on ocean sailing in 2010,” said Alain Thébault.

This performance is a wonderful welcome gift for watchmaker Audemars Piguet, which had decided to associate itself with this adventure a few weeks ago, along with private bankers Lombard Odier Darier Hentsch & Cie.