Sporting a solid ‘sail’ – looking not unlike Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower – speed guru Paul Larsen’s Sail Rocket, a futuristic proa, is now set to break the mystical 50 knot barrier.

The speed team hope to achieve this in Portland Harbour, ideal for consistant wind strengths over a flat water area, but even this harbour may not be large enough to achieve the 50 knot barrier.

Sail Rocket suffers virtually no vanishing stability point: in theory she just goes faster. Also in theory the boat should be able to make 55 knots in 20 knots of wind

Follow the team’s progress at www.SailRocket.com