Sjoukje Bredenkamp already was the Women’s Outright Speed Sailing World Record Holder going into the Lüderitz Speed Challenge 2008, and was expecting to better her old record. As it turned out, on Day 4 of the event she smoked it and bettered her previous best speed of 42.35 knots by almost three knots, hitting 45.20 knots.

“I’m really stoked,” she glows, “I didn’t expect it to achieve it this early in the event. My goal was to break 45 knots, but to do it so early is absolutely insane. It just shows what can be done. I can’t wait to try and push it even further this afternoon.”

She has been doing a lot of preparation for this event with her dad, Hennie Bredenkamp, who also smashed the old 44.62 knot African Record which he set last year with a run yesterday of 47.59 knots. Hennie does the design of the boards with the Goose – Angus Welch of Cape Doctor boards – to shape them. Fins come from Microfin in France.

She is also very happy with the kites: “The new (Naish) Helixes have a bit more power. I’m absolutely loving them. Dad and I have a similar board and kite setup, and we both absolutely killed it yesterday on the 2009 Helix, so we seem to have a winning recipe.”

Bredenkamp spent a lot of time training over the Cape Town winter with Hennie and Sebastien Catellan. “I spent a lot of time on the water doing winter speed sessions, getting my head right and my stance perfected.”

She is currently in the Top 20 outright world record holders, both men and women, and looks like she has the potential to even move into the outright Top Ten, which now sits around the 46.5 knot threshold. Can she pull out another knot and a half? “I was planning on taking baby steps, but it looks like it’s going to be quantum leaps.”

Sjoukje is sponsored by: Naish Kiteboarding, Roxy, Oakley & Cape Doctor

[Source Naish; Photos: Kolesky/SanDisk]