Speed sailing is all about going fast.
There are now 2 categories of speed sailing event, the 'traditional' method which is to sail down a measured course and calculating the average speed from the transition time, and the new approach which involves the use of a GPS receiver to measure the speed of the sailor.
The former method is the one used for formal world speed records - the distances involved include 500m and 1 nautical mile. To attempt these records involves a specially prepared course with suitable timing equipment, official representation and lots of luck with the weather.
http://www.sailspeedrecords.com/
http://www.speedsailing.com/
Participating in this type of event usually involves significant commitment of time and money with no guarantee of satisfaction let alone success. It tends to be limited to a small group of dedicated individuals or people with commercial backing.
GPS speed sailing on the other hand can be done anywhere, anytime by anyone and only requires the use of a suitable GPS device, it's very democratic.
http://www.gps-speedsurfing.com
Current challenge running includes NZ teams http://gpsteamchallenge.com/
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