To build the fastest, sexiest powerboat ever, and bring home the World Record for the fastest global circumnavigation. Britannia shall rule the waves again.
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The world record attempt will take place when current Covid rules allow us to travel freely in and out of ports. We will be using a purpose-built powerboat with the most advanced fuel-efficient hull ever made, in conjunction with Clean Fuel Ltd - helping to save the planet.
🇬🇧Team Britannia 🇬🇧 We're back!!
Take a look at our breathtaking boat! Revel in its beauty! ♥️
Just the finishing touches now! 😀. Stay tuned for more updates.
The excitement continues, and it's all set to unfold.
More news, Colloco Marketing has stepped in to spearhead our sponsorship, social media, and marketing efforts!
Colloco Marketing
I was chatting with old friend and crewmate Dr Jan Falkowski the other day, and we touched on the annoying tendency for life to sometimes get in the way of the good stuff - boating, travel etc. It was always the intention that having done many previous long-distance RIB trips with Alan Priddy, Jan would be on the 2002 round the world attempt to break Cable & Wireless Adventurer's circumnavigation record. Sadly work got in the way of that one, as indeed it did two years earlier, when in October 2000 we took on Adventurer's fastest round the world port-to-port record, from Gibraltar to Monaco. We knew Spirit of Cardiff was capable of a faster passage than Adventurer, and we proved it by knocking an hour and 19 minutes off their time.
Jan did get to come with us the following year, when we set the official world record for a transatlantic from New York to Lizard Point (which nearly 22 years later, still stands), and that must have been a pretty good consolation prize. And in fact, Jan managed to make up for missing the Gibraltar - Monaco trip with us when he took on the same route (albeit reversed) with Chris Strickland in 2006, and they broke the record (which also still stands)!
Moral to the story: maybe everything does come to he who waits... :-) CT
Pictured: Spirit of Cardiff mixing with the rich kids in Monaco harbour, October 2000, after her record-breaking run from Gibraltar.
We've known Newfoundlander Egbert Walters ever since the days when Spirit of Cardiff was based in Cardiff Bay over 20 years ago. He came into the visitor centre one day and offered his services. He organised our fuel and reprovisioning for the 2001 transatlantic, and again in July 2002 for the ill-fated last leg but one of the round the world attempt. He was there again for us in September 2002 when we hoped to complete the circumnavigation that year, and when the boat suffered a bizarre mishap which prevented us from setting off, he helped organise the boat's winter storage in Newfoundland. The following year Eg joined Alan, Jan and me on board Spirit of Cardiff (renamed Jolly Sailor) for her homecoming transatlantic, an eventful voyage which saw us coming into Portsmouth to a fantastic welcome. Eg was with Alan again in 2004, a planned trip across the Atlantic to establish Spirit in a new home in St John's, but which unfortunately ended up in the crew being helicoptered to safety and the boat lost at sea.
As Alan's attention turned to sailing, and the Lively Lady project to help disadvantaged young adults, Eg helped out by crewing on a number of legs around the world. Lively Lady holds a special place in Eg's heart - she even featured in his wedding to Sandy.
There's no doubt that Eg's work for the Community Food Sharing Association over the last 30 years has made a massive difference to the people of St John's and Newfoundland, and we certainly benefited from his skills of persuasion when it came to rustling up assistance. I was going to add that he really ought to receive some kind of recognition locally, but in Eg's cheerfully good-humoured style, it sort of worked the other way round when he arranged for Alan, Jan and me to be "screeched" before we set off across the Atlantic in 2003. It's an honour not bestowed on just anyone, and probably a tale best left to another time to recount!
In the meantime, from our side of the pond, we'd like to wish our shipmate Eg all the very best for his retirement. CT :-)
https://www.saltwire.com/halifax/news/tireless-newfoundland-food-bank-boss-and-former-adventure-sailor-eg-walters-retires-after-30-years-100756519/
Parkinson's disease forcing the 74-year-old to step away from the Community Food Sharing Association he was integral in building
This is a beautifully made piece of art and will become a future antique.
Marloe Watch Company is an independent British designer and producer of mechanical watches based in Perth, Scotland.
On this day in 2001 - retracing Spirit of Cardiff's record-setting transatlantic
After our starring role in the grand opening of Cardiff Bay Barrage, it was back to the day jobs for all of us, which in my case entailed a lot more travelling. As far as our promotion of Cardiff and Wales was concerned, we reported back that the general population in the USA wasn't really that aware. While for the most part our accents would be mistaken for Australian until we pointed out we were English, any mention of Wales would most likely be met with "Is that in England?" Our findings were confirmed some months later when Welsh First Minister Rhodri Morgan paid an official visit to the USA, also concluding that Wales had a perception problem.
Using mainly my footage, this video was edited by APP Broadcast (who put together the documentary about Ellen MacArthur's solo round the world voyage), and broadcast as an item on "Watersports World," a TV programme aired in the UK by Sky Sports 2 and 3, and around the world, including on Fox throughout the Americas and Australia, Star TV throughout Asia, and UPC in Europe - total audience around 555 million! It's presented here without opening titles or closing credits, running time just over 18 minutes. CT
On this day in 2001 - retracing Spirit of Cardiff's record-setting transatlantic
The next few days after completing our world record transatlantic see us biding our time, lying low in Falmouth, and getting reaccustomed to being on dry land again. Just when you feel you’ve got it cracked, everything swims around you dizzyingly, and that’s before going to the pub!
Yesterday we set off around Land’s End and headed up to Milford Haven to give ourselves a relatively short run in to Cardiff today Saturday 2nd June. It’s just as well. The sea conditions in the Bristol Channel are horrible, as usual.
Our arrival in Cardiff has a wonderful party atmosphere about it. We’re escorted in by Cardiff’s pilot boat, and Swansea’s impressive new pilot cutter, and as we enter lock number one in the barrage, hundreds of faces p*er down at us, and we can hear the sounds of a jazz band somewhere up above. As we pass through the inner gate, there’s a deafening display of daylight fireworks. Now that’s what I call a welcome! CT
Tune in tomorrow for a bonus instalment :-)
Online version of a story which appeared in print yesterday in both the Eastern Daily Press and Eastern Evening News, complete with a few extra photos :-)
https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/20-year-old-world-record-that-still-stands-8011954
Norwich journalist and Spirit of Cardiff crew member Clive Tully looks back to May 2001 when the boat set a world record for crossing the Atlantic
On this day in 2001 - retracing Spirit of Cardiff's record-setting transatlantic
It's early morning on Wednesday 30th May, and I decide to stay awake at the end of my watch. The sun comes up, and the light on Lizard Point comes into view. We arrive at around 5.30 am, fuel warning lights blinking madly, announced by Alan as: "Here we are, running on fumes." After a slight difficulty getting our message across to Falmouth Coastguard in order to have our arrival time independently verified, we set off for Falmouth, making it in without running out of fuel! I'm knackered by the time we arrive, so instead of toddling off to breakfast with Alan, Steve and Jan, I go back to bed for an hour.
We've completed the 1,239 nautical miles run from Horta to the Lizard in a very impressive 64 hours 35 minutes. As far as official UIM powerboating world records goes, we established a record for New York to Horta for boats under 50 feet in length, with a total distance of 2,305 nautical miles covered in 156 hours 19 minutes. And as the first boat to complete a powerboat transatlantic under the new UIM rules, our slightly shortened dogleg route (we didn't go as originally planned via Gibraltar) means we've set the world record. 20 years later, not only does it still stand, it has never even been challenged!
Distance covered from New York to Lizard Point is 3,544 nautical miles, total elapsed time 248 hours 47 minutes. CT
Tune in on 2nd June for the final instalment :-)
On this day in 2001 - retracing Spirit of Cardiff's record-setting transatlantic
It's Tuesday 29th May, and the sea has been glassy smooth during the night. It's still following, but now with a shine on top. Despite what you might think to be a very fuel efficient journey, with the sea behind us, Alan is concerned about the amount of remaining fuel. We may have to cut our sp*ed in order to guarantee arrival. We're getting close to a weather front, as well, which will clearly have a bearing. We should have enough to get to Lizard Point unassisted, but we may need someone to come out to get us the last 30 miles to Falmouth. Even so, we've done well with our experimental fuel additive supplied by Soltron, which has apparently improved our efficiency by 8%.
What's more concerning is the fact that Alan has thrown the p*e bucket overboard. Apparently it parted company with the handle during mid-swing, and, left with just the handle in his hands, he chucked that in afterwards. We're skimming along at around 22 knots, when ahead, underneath the clouds in front, I can see the sea is changing. We're on a smooth swell here, but I can see the white crests of breaking waves catching in the sun in the distance.
Today has been very much a non-day. We know it's our last full day of the trip, and the distance from the Lizard is getting closer. But the problem now is that making landfall so soon could well excite interest from local media, when we really want to keep the announcement of our world record transatlantic until we get to Cardiff. People are likely to be able to make an intelligent guess as to where we are if they find we're trying to lie low. And as far as they're concerned, the story is here and now, not ancient history served up on Saturday. CT
Tune in tomorrow for the next instalment :-)
On this day in 2001 - retracing Spirit of Cardiff's record-setting transatlantic
It's Monday 28th May, and we've made good progress through the night. The sea is still following, allowing us to maintain an average of around 20 knots. Allegedly a whale was spotted fairly close to, but I'm not sure whether to believe it. We haven't seen as much wildlife as I'd hoped throughout the trip - plenty of seabirds, quite a few dolphins, including ones jumping clean out of the sea. But apart from the multiple blows of one pod of whales on the way to St John's, that's been it, unless you can count the occasional seal.
The new air freshener sitting proudly next to the compass has 1239 marked in felt pen, signifying the number of miles from Horta to Lizard Point. Will it still smell as sweet by the time we arrive? It could be a case of "air today, gone tomorrow."
Steve gets out of his bunk to have a p*e outside, at which point the bow stuffs for the first time in ages. In ribbing circles, "stuffing" has much less to do with Bernard Matthews or sage and onion, and much more to do with following seas. "Stuffing" is what happens when the bow hits the back of the wave in front, at the very least generating sheets of impressive spray which can catch out the unwary on the aft deck. At worst, the boat can turn into a submarine for a few seconds, with green water coming all the way up the windscreen.
We have a late breakfast of rolls and cheese, along with a coffee, while Alan phones for the weather forecast. It seems we're OK until Wednesday, when there's a stiff northerly for several days. So we should be fine to get to the Lizard and on to Falmouth, but we're probably going to be beaten to death on the way round to Cardiff on Saturday.
The sun has been out all day, and Jan and Steve have been sunning themselves. We also discover that the source of some questionable smell in the front cabin is Jan's bag, a rather tired holdall whose polyurethane waterproof coating has almost entirely delaminated, and is falling off in yellowed strips like sunburned skin. So he empties it out, washes a few items of clothing, hoses the bag down and lays it out to dry. In fact, we all have a sea water shower at the back of the boat. It certainly feels good to have a half decent wash. CT
Tune in tomorrow for the next instalment :-)
On this day in 2001 - retracing Spirit of Cardiff's record-setting transatlantic
We set off from Horta at around 1 pm on Sunday 27th May. It's a following sea, supposedly south-westerlies until Wednesday, then westerly. But at the rate we're zipping along at the moment, we could arrive by Wednesday. It'll feel a trifle strange if we do, since we'll then have two days of not a lot to do until we have to get to Cardiff for the grand opening of Cardiff Bay Barrage on 2nd June.
Alan's ploy for when we arrive in Falmouth after passing the official transatlantic timing mark at Lizard Point has a certain appeal. As the various boaters and yachties swap stories in the bar, they'll be asking each other where they've come from. Lymington, they might reply, or Dartmouth. So everyone will fall off their chairs when we say New York. CT
Tune in tomorrow for the next instalment :-)
On this day in 2001 - retracing Spirit of Cardiff's record-setting transatlantic
We arrive in Horta at around 1030 am on Saturday 26th May, having covered 1,203 nautical miles from St John's in 89 hours 37 minutes. Not overly brilliant weather, but it's nice to get onto land once again. Even so, it does feel slightly weird after being at sea for 150 or so hours apart from the two and a half in St John's.
Once we clear formalities with the harbour master and customs people, we wander up to Peter's Sport Cafe for a coffee. Later Jan and I walk down to the shower block for a clean up and to do a little laundry. My back has been playing up after the last few days' pounding, so it's nice to get some hot water on it at last. Once that's over, we have a few beers, then try to find a supermarket to sort out provisions for the next leg. We find one eventually, although it takes a taxi ride to do it.
Back at the boat, we find that Alan and Steve have traced the leak, the carpet has been stripped out of the front cabin, and cushions are drying out. Our gear is spending the night in the engine box.
We go off later to find somewhere to eat, ending up in a deserted little restaurant. I have some cream of vegetable soup followed by veal, but it's a trifle disappointing. It seems they haven't learned how to put hot food on hot plates, so what turns up is luke warm. We repair to a bar, but when I drink too slowly, I realise I'm not going to be able to keep up, and as I head back to the boat, it starts raining. CT
Tune in tomorrow for the next instalment :-)
On this day in 2001 - retracing Spirit of Cardiff's record-setting transatlantic
It's 6.30 GMT on Friday 25th May, the last moment we could be in Horta to break the Cable & Wireless record, and we're still 390 miles away, wallowing around at a dismal six knots. We've had squalls through the night, and although the head sea has gradually turned around to beam and then to following, our progress remains the same.
As first light dawns, we're racing along at an impressive eight knots. This will get us into Horta in just over two days, instead of nearly three. Jan Falkowski takes over from the autopilot. "Time to crack on," he says. At six knots we'd been burning 10 litres of fuel an hour. Now we're burning 22 to 25 at 16 knots, so we've increased our sp*ed with no penalty on fuel consumption.
Basically he's choosing a cloud on the horizon that's roughly the right heading, then steering around the larger waves, and over the smaller ones. "When the boat's on autopilot, you get the bow lifting up and the prop cavitating when you hit the top of a big wave," he explains. "Steering around them means you can maintain the attitude of the boat much better."
The plan now is to get to Horta and lay over for a couple of days to get ready to cross straight back to Cardiff via the Lizard. The boat absolutely stinks now, probably as a result of four smelly blokes, but also the fact that the front cabin has been shipping water. Everything up there is saturated. At least I've managed to dry off my sleeping bag. CT
Tune in tomorrow for the next instalment :-)
On this day in 2001 - retracing Spirit of Cardiff's record-setting transatlantic
It's the early hours of Thursday 24th May, and I shoot an Infrared mode piece to camera with Jan, who's driving. At this point we're still going well, making around 17 knots, with 600 miles to go to Horta. Later in the morning, and the direction of the sea appears to be changing from following to head. "There's a big swell going that way," says Jan, "and a short sea coming this way." But we have one curious moment where we've been bashing through short choppy waves coming at us, and then suddenly we're clawing our way to the top of a following wave. "Is this what's meant by a confused sea?" I wonder.
Alan wakes for a moment to assess the situation. "We know we won't get the record now," he says. "The main thing is to guarantee our arrival. Let's keep the fuel consumption down to within 25 litres per hour." So we reduce our sp*ed from around 19 knots to 12. Even Friday lunchtime in Horta seems rather distant. Somehow I suspect Saturday to be closer to the mark.
Alan phones weather man Bertie, and it transpires that what we're heading into is a double low, two depressions which are converging. By mid-afternoon, we decide we're flogging a dead horse, and sit it out with the engine off for an hour, during which time we drift south-west around a mile. We're still 500 miles out of Horta, and suddenly it's all looking a long way off. We could be out here for days. Gibraltar is going to be off, too, so once we get to the Azores, we simply have to get ready to make our way to Cardiff in order to arrive at the allotted time on the 2nd June.
For a while, we're chased by dolphins. They come really close to the sides of the boat, and occasionally make some spectacular leaps right out of the water. In less trying conditions I would have been out there videoing them. During the early evening, we have a bit of excitement when suddenly a ship comes up behind us, then crossing in front. We zoom around into its wash in the hope of gaining some shelter. The ship calls us up on the radio. "Anything we can do for you?" I guess it's not every day a ship crossing the Atlantic comes across a 33 ft boat several hundred miles from shore.
"What is your destination?" asks Jan.
"We are heading for Bilbao, Spain."
"We are making for the Azores, and were hoping we might be able to follow you. Thanks anyway."
Our progress is now painfully slow - six knots. At this rate, if it doesn't let up at all, it will take over two days just to get to Flores, and over three to Horta. We can't increase the sp*ed, though, because fuel consumption is now the critical factor. To add to the fun, my sleeping bag has become soaked because of a leak in the front cabin. Suspended above the heater, I'm hopeful the worst will be off it by the time I next have to use it. CT
Tune in tomorrow for the next instalment :-)
On this day in 2001 - retracing Spirit of Cardiff's record-setting transatlantic
It's Wednesday 23rd May, and I manage a good sleep, even despite the sodden carpet. As it gets lighter, there are times when I think the sea has flattened off, but then suddenly a wave rears up beneath us, and once again we start off on what feels like a runaway train ride down the next big swell. The chances of our making the average sp*ed required to beat the Cable & Wireless Adventurer record seem to be receding. If this weather would only let up, we could crack on.
By late afternoon, early evening, the hills have gone, but it's still extremely bumpy. We may yet be in with a chance, but it does depend on the sea calming down pretty soon. They pacify somewhat, and for a while we're making better time, but not, I fear, good enough for us to get into Horta before 6.30 am GMT on Friday, and that's what we'd need to break the Cable & Wireless record. CT
Tune in tomorrow for the next instalment :-)
On this day in 2001 - retracing Spirit of Cardiff's record-setting transatlantic
I get a reasonable four hour sleep before starting the early morning watch with Jan on Tuesday 22nd May. We watch the sun rise ahead of us. The barometer has risen during the night, which I guess must be good. I've plotted the area of the threatened ice on my GPS, and by my reckoning, we'll miss it completely. The one degree square is over the Grand Banks, which we're north of on the way in to St John's, and east of on the way out. And whilst I can't find the precise co-ordinates, I think we've already passed the place where the Titanic went down.
The point where we turn north is Cape Race, with heavy head seas on the way up the east coast of Newfoundland to St John's. But the good news is that it's all going to be behind us on the way out. We arrive in the harbour to be met by Keith Walker and local contact Egbert Walters. They've sorted out all the provisions and refuelling. We also do TV interviews for CBC and NTV, plus local radio.
They've had snow here, but it's gone bar a few patches on the surrounding hillsides. Interestingly, it becomes apparent that the end of May, beginning of June is regarded in St John's as the silly season, when people arrive here from all over the world to try and cross the Atlantic in as many and varied ways as possible. We've battled our way here 1,102 nautical miles from New York in a time of 66 hours 42 minutes. Our interviewers think we're barking mad for even contemplating setting off again in the current conditions, but we convince them we know what we're doing.
Jan and I are whizzed up to the local Quality Hotel for a quick shower, and I connect up to the phone for an email linkup. Just as we think that we're going to sit down and eat something, a call comes through for us to get back to the boat. We end up loading all the food and water, and then someone brings us some tea, along with fish and chips. Fresh caught today - fantastic! And then we're off again, after around two and a half hours. We've sampled just a little civilisation in a very friendly place, and I'm feeling slightly sad to be leaving. It may be cold and misty here, but you can sense a genuine warmth in the people.
Now we're back at sea, and it's following, with a 20 knot wind pushing it along. At times we're chugging along at 15 knots, then suddenly it's as though somebody lit the blue touchpaper, and we're freewheeling downhill, surging forwards at over 20. Unlike a head sea, where the sp*ed and punishment remain constant, a heavy following sea makes for stop-go conditions. A big wave will have the boat labouring up it for what seems like ages. At the top, the bow lifts up into the air and the boat wallows about with very little forward motion, then suddenly the bow smacks down, and we pick up sp*ed. Whilst the following seas can't be described as mountainous, they're certainly extremely hilly. The swells are massive, but well spaced out, each with several waves, and can perhaps best be equated to terrain such as Dartmoor. When you look down from the top, you can see the trough 100 yards or so ahead, a good 50 feet down.
We're making good progress until around 9.30 pm, when the boat stuffs itself into the back of a wave. The spray as it comes out from either side of the bow is truly impressive - as good as any amusement park log flume - then cascading in sheets of water over the windscreen. It continues over the roof, where it jets through the open skylights with the force of a fire hose. Alan, sleeping directly beneath on the floor, cops it the worst - indeed, it could be a tragic scene from Titanic or a WW2 submarine movie being played before my eyes. There can be no ruder awakening from your slumbers than by having several gallons of cold sea water dumped on your bed. For a moment, Alan probably thinks he's about to drown. Then he comes to his senses, swears, and complains bitterly that his sleeping bag is soaking wet. Not just that, but the carpet at the back of the cabin, the cushions he's been lying on, and the clothing he'd removed before going to sleep - all are sodden. Steve has fared slightly better, but he too hasn't escaped the deluge from the ceiling.
"Everything's wet," they say. "We might as well do an early watch change." Jan and I convince them that it's probably better for them to remain in their sleeping bags, on the grounds that they'll dry out much more quickly with body heat rather than without. CT
Tune in tomorrow for the next instalment :-)
On this day in 2001 - retracing Spirit of Cardiff's record-setting transatlantic
Jan and I are up again at 3 am EST on Monday 21st May for another four hour watch. We're out of the fog, and indeed the sky is brilliantly clear. It's definitely a lot colder 100 miles south of the coast of Nova Scotia. Just as I think we're about to see a lovely sunrise, we disappear into a fog bank. We're trying to pump fuel from the auxiliary tanks into the main, and keep the heater going, and the heater doesn't like it. It keeps tripping out, along with the fuel pumps. And because there's no breather system on the auxiliaries, the filler caps are off. So instead of fuel being pumped, some has ended up spilled. We stop when I mention I can smell diesel, and Alan looks at the options. Do we have enough fuel to get us to St John's? He reckons we have, but will make a final decision about a possible diversion to Halifax later. Meanwhile we carry on through mist and now rain, still making reasonable progress at around 20 knots.
Later in the day, and the sea is calm, and the sun shining. The only thing that confirms that we are indeed heading towards chilly Newfoundland is the decided nip in the air. It'll certainly be cold tonight. During the afternoon, we receive a weather update from Keith in St John's. 25 to 30 knot northerlies along the east coast of Newfoundland, with ice between 45 and 46 degrees North, and 52 and 53 West. St John's is about 45 miles up the coast after we round the corner from the south coast, so with the two combined, we can expect a battle on our hands.
We spot a few seals in the water. Later on, as we're zipping along at around 22 knots, Alan spies some whales. "Over there," he says, "dozens of them." The spouts are clearly distinguishable around a quarter of a mile away, a large pod of whales. My first watch sees the sun go down and an inky darkness descend over us. The sky is intensely clear though, with stars twinkling brightly, including some so close to the horizon, it's difficult not to mistake them for ships. We adjust our watches to Newfie time, which is 3½ hours behind BST. The seas are following now, and at times we're surfing along at over 23 knots. CT
Tune in tomorrow for the next instalment :-)
On this day in 2001 - retracing Spirit of Cardiff's record-setting transatlantic
It's Sunday 20th May, and our weather man Bertie was certainly right about the weather. Soon we're making just nine knots into a head sea. By the time Jan and I start a second watch at 5 am, we're down to five knots. The seas are a lot bigger. The average wave heights are probably around three to four feet, and then along comes one five to six feet. As we ride up it and smack down, the spray cascades across the windscreen. After more than 12 hours, we should have made significantly more progress than this.
The waypoint where we take a more northerly route after clearing Cape Cod now seems likely to take us all morning, and we're committed to it. Alan speaks briefly about making a landfall once we've gone beyond that point, so maybe the New York to Horta record is fading out of the picture - certainly if the weather is going to remain like this for several days.
A couple of hours later, and we've managed to double our sp*ed from around five to 10 knots. It's still rough, but doesn't appear to be as bad as it was. Jan and I go back to bed at around 9 am, by which time we've reached the waypoint at the end of Cape Cod, and our route goes from easterly to north-easterly. The seas are still heavy, but we're now making slightly better progress, getting up to 12 to 13 knots. It's still a lot slower than we should be, and it appears from our weather man that it's going to remain like this for several days, which means St Johns is likely to take us three to four days instead of two and a half. Our road crew chief Keith Walker will be there till midnight Wednesday, but the hope is we'll arrive sometime on Tuesday.
We eat our hot meal mid-afternoon, a micro-waved pasta accompanied by a bread roll and Babybel cheese. As the afternoon wears on, we start to pick up sp*ed, and by early evening a fog has descended on us. So whilst we need to be more vigilant, the good news is that the wind has dropped, so now we're motoring along at a respectable 19 knots. CT
Tune in tomorrow for the next instalment :-)
Dundas Spur
Portsmouth
PO35NL
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On this day in 2001 - retracing Spirit of Cardiff's record-setting transatlantic After our starring role in the grand opening of Cardiff Bay Barrage, it was back to the day jobs for all of us, which in my case entailed a lot more travelling. As far as our promotion of Cardiff and Wales was concerned, we reported back that the general population in the USA wasn't really that aware. While for the most part our accents would be mistaken for Australian until we pointed out we were English, any mention of Wales would most likely be met with "Is that in England?" Our findings were confirmed some months later when Welsh First Minister Rhodri Morgan paid an official visit to the USA, also concluding that Wales had a perception problem. Using mainly my footage, this video was edited by APP Broadcast (who put together the documentary about Ellen MacArthur's solo round the world voyage), and broadcast as an item on "Watersports World," a TV programme aired in the UK by Sky Sports 2 and 3, and around the world, including on Fox throughout the Americas and Australia, Star TV throughout Asia, and UPC in Europe - total audience around 555 million! It's presented here without opening titles or closing credits, running time just over 18 minutes. CT
On this day in 2000 - retracing Spirit of Cardiff's record-breaking Monaco run Summer / autumn 2000 proved to be a pivotal time for Spirit of Cardiff. In June we set the first world record for powerboating around the British Isles (on our third attempt), we moved the whole project from Portsmouth to Cardiff, and then we decided to let the Cable & Wireless Adventurer round the world record-holders know that we were about to start snapping at their heels. The plan was to break the port-to-port record for their first leg around the world. We'd originally wanted to take on the first two legs, from Gibraltar to Monaco, and then on to Port Said, but the second leg was shelved due to lack of money. Even so, the 773.6 nautical mile run from Gibraltar to Monaco would be significant. At 36 hours 58 minutes, it was Adventurer's fastest leg around the world. It's the 14th October, and we've already made news bulletins on both ITN and Sky. ITN's reporter Tim Rogers notices my Sony DCR-PC100E MiniDV camcorder. I'd bought it just days before, simply because I felt we were letting opportunities to capture Spirit on video slip through our fingers. "Give me a call when you get back," he says. "I'd like to take a look at what you get." Having taken still photographs since a Box Brownie at the age of seven, and professionally since my early 20s, I didn't doubt my ability to compose photos, but this would be the first time I'd ever shot video. Once again, we'd hoped that Jan Falkowski would join Alan Priddy, Steve Lloyd and me to make a four-man crew, but Jan couldn't get away. So we offer the place to the South Wales Echo for one of their reporters. Matt Lloyd joins us, possibly under the mistaken impression that what he was coming on would be somewhat more comfortable - a jolly little trip to the Med! As ever, our run down the Bristol Channel is like driving along the sleepers of a railway track, and Matt finds himself sitting outside for much of the time, throwing up into a buc
With a very recognisable part of Portsmouth's sailing heritage in the background, Team Britannia principal Alan Priddy introduces Clean Fuel Ltd's answer for running internal combustion engines without the harmful pollution. Join the Clean Fuel revolution with Team Britannia: https://www.teambritannia.co.uk/prize-competition
Everyone that sees Team Britannia's round the world powerboat Excalibur for the first time can't fail to be amazed. They're impressed, too at the way we intend to show that pollution caused by internal combustion engines can be radically reduced. Our use of Clean Fuel Ltd's HydroFuel should make a lot of people sit up and take notice. Click the link below to find out how you can be part of the revolution :-) https://www.teambritannia.co.uk/prize-competition
Team Britannia principal Alan Priddy invites you to join us :-) https://www.teambritannia.co.uk/prize-competition
Tom Bettle of boat builder Rafnar UK supports Team Britannia. You can too! Click on the link below to enter a competition with amazing prizes, and share in the success of Clean Fuel Ltd, developers of the pollution-busting HydroDiesel. https://www.teambritannia.co.uk/prize-competition
You might think Team Britannia's followers are all oldies, or boating fanatics, but nothing could be further from the truth. Iulia has been following Team Britannia for some time, but this was her first visit to see the boat. Apart from the thrill of following a project which will culminate in an epic voyage around the world, anyone who's interested in seeing how pollution from diesel engines can be combated will want to join us :-) https://www.teambritannia.co.uk/prize-competition
After over three years in the boatyard, Excalibur was craned into the water and moved to her present location at the Hayling Yacht Company at the beginning of October 2019. Her hurricane-proof windows have been fitted, and work is currently taking place on the interior of the boat.
