You guys make it sound like Hydroptere is setting those record speeds mid-atlantic or something!
The conditions in which it sets the actual records are in no way "open water"!

When they set a record they do exactly the same as the kiteboarders and that is find a spot with ideal conditions.
Usually they choose a place with strong offshore winds inside some kind of harbour where there are no waves
and not too many obstacles that could interfere (preferable alongside a beach or something).
Yes in some of the videos you can see it cruising around the coast but that is not where they set the 50kt+ records,
the kiteboard could also happily cruise around in 2m seas and not have a problem.

For those who think it is less of an achievement should go out buy a board and kite and have a go yourself,
i've been up to around 30kts and cant even imagine what it is like to reach 54!