Syroco successfully completes the first flight of its prototype

If you have already attended lessons or courses in our KGG school in Hyères, we have had the opportunity to give you a taste of the power and lightness of this type of ride. Let us now introduce you to a team of enthusiasts who have pushed the concept to its extreme limit by planning to create a speedcraft that is supposed to “pulverise” (their words) the world sailing speed record. In January 2022, their prototype successfully rose above the waves.

An ultra-fast gondola that flies between the sky and the sea

At the origin of the project: the Marseille-based start-up Syroco and one of its founding partners, Alex Caizergues. Alex’s character and background speak volumes for those who want to understand the genesis of this extraordinary endeavour. After years of dominating the discipline, he holds the world kiteboarding speed record. It is therefore a logical evolution for this top sportsman to tackle the absolute speed record in sailing.

The prototype of the Syroco, which has been sailing successfully recently, is the result of the collaboration of the team members. Everyone is an expert in his or her field and contributes to the project. The principle that allows the machine to move over the waves is inherited from the kitefoil. The only difference is that the foil, instead of raising the capsule in which the two pilots will be sitting, pulls it down and holds it in the water. This strong anchorage allows the deployment of an impressive sail that will allow them (we hope) to conquer the record they are aiming for.

A good omen of results

The speedcarft that rose above the sea was remote controlled. For the final launch, it should be Alex Caizergues himself who will take the controls in the cockpit, assisted by his co-pilot. We understand that for this first test, the team preferred to replace the crew with remote controls, but in the end everything went well.

To get the capsule into the air, no kite was used this time, but a boat equipped with a 5-metre mast. The pod was connected to the mast and when the boat picked up speed, it tore itself out of the water and started to float in the air to the delight of the whole team. The gondola did not show any worrying deviations, let alone roll over, which encourages Syroco to step up a gear in preparation for the big day when they will tackle the world speed record.

The prospect of an exceptional record

In an interview, Alex seems confident that his baby will make him the record holder again (he had the place stolen in 2012 by Vestas SailRocket 2). With his talented team, he plans to get the craft up to no less than 150 km/h, which will not only surpass the last performance, but smash it to bits!

To enable the pilot and his crew to practice handling the speedcraft without taking risks, the company is working on a simulator that exactly reproduces the behaviour of the kite and the foil. As you can see, the members of this start-up never seem to stop innovating and breaking new ground and new technologies.

All this energy and this technical and creative ebullience should eventually lead to patents. Syroco is counting on the resale of the intellectual property of the innovations discovered to make this long-term project profitable.

But let’s not forget that this project was born from the desire of a top-level sportsman, passionate about the sea, the elements and nature. Of course, breaking the absolute sailing speed record will be added to Alex Caizergues’ already long list of achievements and will put Syroco in the spotlight. Of course, the many innovations that the team is developing in the field of navigation will certainly make the initial financial investment worthwhile. But what really seems to motivate Alex for the long term is that his company, thanks to the navigation techniques it is developing, will become an effective player in the maritime energy transition.