52-year-old Rob Douglas Jr. returned to Vineyard Haven this past week a world champion, reclaiming his title as the fastest kitesurfer over one nautical mile.
Douglas sailed at an average speed of above 40 knots (46 mph) on two separate occasions, traveling at 40.41 knots on June 14, then breaking his own record the very next day with an average speed of 41.49 knots (47.7 mph).
Douglas originally set the record in 2019 before taking a three-year hiatus from competitive kitesurfing due to the pandemic and the birth of his daughters.
During this hiatus, Douglas lost his world record, so he returned to La Palme this June with a little extra motivation to perform his best. This June’s Prince of Speed event was Douglas’ first major event since returning to the world stage.
“I’ve always had good luck in France,” Douglas joked. “I’ve done a lot of competitions there; the winds in La Palme are the best in the world.”
Moreover, it wasn’t the first time Douglas has had to take back a world record.
Back in 2010 in Namibia, during the “pinnacle” of his career, Douglas reclaimed his title as the “fastest sailor in the world” in the 500m speed-sailing event. The annual Lüderitz Speed Challenge is open to anyone operating a wind-powered vehicle, and in 2008 Douglas became the first to set the outright record while wielding a kite.
In addition to kitesurfing, Douglas is also an accomplished windsurfer, and has recently added wing surfing to his repertoire. “Wing surfing has gotten big over the past two years,” Douglas explained.
Douglas began his competitive racing career as a teenage windsurfer, before transitioning to kite surfing in 2005. He says that creative thinking and technological innovation have always been the driving force behind the evolution of speed sailing. “Back in 2005, [my team] had experience, and came at it with the right angle … that 2008 record was a culmination of timing, circumstance, and luck.”
“My mile record is probably safe for a year,” he said. When asked if he’d attempt to reclaim the record when it is inevitably broken, Rob wasn’t sure. “With my age and kids … time will tell. As speeds get faster and faster, it inherently becomes more dangerous,” he said.
Born in Boston and raised on Martha’s Vineyard, Douglas fell in love with sailing through his father, who took him on sailing trips around the Island as a kid. “It all comes from my exposure to sailing from him,” Douglas said. “My dad and I still talk about sailing all the time.”