DORSET kitesurfer Martin Carter claimed a stunning British speed record at the Speed Sailing Challenge Namibia.

Carter, who trains in Portland Harbour, hit a maximum speed of 51.97 knots (96km/h) and later broke the British 500m mark when achieving a velocity of 45.58 knots (84.41km/h) in Luderitz.

Carter’s mark is a new British Kitesurfing Speed record, ratified by the WSSRC (World Record Speed Sailing Council), and was set at an event designed for the fastest kitesurfers and windsurfers on the planet.

The Luderitz speed canal is dug and designed to take advantage of gale-force desert winds that blow in this extreme part of the world.

Conditions are extreme and dangerous, with no margin for error with a kite, because there is no water surrounding the canal, with the nearby lagoon being 500m away.

Difficulty for kites is increased by a tiny 50m stopping distance before the water ends, giving the sailors a second to decide their fate.

Reflecting on his tremendous achievement, Carter said: “I am delighted to have improved the British kite speed record and equally delighted to return home in one piece. I would like to thank my sponsors and family who helped me get there.

“The reason I went to the event is because all the fastest speeds are done in this particular location and it is one of the very few places people can break records.

“Whilst I trained nearly every day for six weeks before I went nothing really prepared me for the extremes of this speed canal, which is why most competitors return again to push their speeds higher once they adapt to the conditions.”

Last October, Carter claimed the overall win at Weymouth Speed Week, beating more than 70 competitors and narrowly missing the record by less than one km/h.

Two months prior, he competed at the IKA World Speed Championships in Oman.