These statistics that you guys are talking about are only available since the invention of the gps of course. Who knows what went on before. Or even now plenty of guys are doing huge speeds but don't have a gps and so can't know what speeds they are going.

A lot of my friends from Scotland Is, pittwater, sailed really well late eighties, early ninties

they all think they've done 40, ha, they havent, not even close

the gear is heaps better, especially the exhausting of sails ect

the one thing the gpstc has done has been to force people to understand their peak and understand the importance of flat water

they simply were not fine tuning the conditions like this twenty yrs ago

I do believe yester years sailing was more sailing skill, less speed

these days, pffff, theres guys breaking forty that cant tack,

people often think there going fast based on board control, back foot, back hand pressure,

as i get better, having a heap of potential power/ drag doesnt always mean speed

a lot of peoples fastest runs have been ones that felt a lot lighter, eg no drag, or small sail

your sailing sweet Moby, you draw great lines, you've got great passion still, yep, your a gps champion in the making man

There isn't many sailing spots in NSW that you can do 40 knots at. ( in the right conditions )
Most of these spots have only been sailed in the last 5 years or so! Apart from Sydney spots.
Reason being: flat water in NSW means ( Shallow water & Weed ) Apart from Harrington & B/Bay
Plus the internet & GPSTC has made it easier for sailors to find these new spots.
One person only has to sail there once and do a good speed and then everyone knows
where to go conditions to sail there and fins needed.
I would say to that there is still a lot of spots not discover yet to in NSW.

The Fins to sail these place to achieve 40 Knots were not around before.
You properly will fined now the Fins & boards will evolve for these places, to be sailed faster.
I think there will be Twin Fin speed boards & Thrusters speed Boards in the Future.
Being able to get more lift with 2 or 3 ( smaller Delta style fins ) to get the same lift
as one Delta fin.

Plus once some one gets a good Hydro Foil fins to lift the board just above the small chop
in shallow spots higher speeds will be reached & Bigger Crashes !

Look at the speeds the America's Cup Cats were achieving with foils.
Well over 40 knots in chop.

Just my opinion!