another Priddy rant

[tcm]

The brave boys continue, hacking along the japanese coastline, but the chances of a round the world record are diminshing towards being a mathematical impossibility.

The question arises, though, that this project despite 2 years of planning seems to be colosally underfunded to the point of embarassment. Imagine that you or your compnay had part-sponsored the project, then to find that most of the postings included requests for cash almost along the lines of "any spare change, guv?" . I wonder if Yamaha might give soon give them some more money *provided* that they take the logo off.

Second is that the technical updates don't fill one with confidence. AP reports that "hot water is a lot heavier and more difficult to move" um er which it isn't. Hot water is less dense than cold, but not by much. Lower air inlet density and lower seawater density might affect top speed by 5-10 percent. It can't be "like driving a car with the handbrake on" because a halfway decent car doesn't move with the handbrake on.

Nonetheless, I still wish them all the best.

 

[DepSol]

YAWN

Dom


I just want my boat back in the water ;-(

 

[trev]

I still don't really know (or care) why they are doing this.
What are they trying to prove ?

Trev

 

[DepSol]

That they can go around the world in a boat under 50 ft in the fastest time ever.

What else?

Dom


I just want my boat back in the water ;-(

 

[wakeup]

I kinda have to agree with TCM. Whilst I've always wanted to see the SOC attempt suceed, and I am sure it's been no holiday for the last six weeks on bard that rib, it is turning into a bit of a tour rather than a race.

We get regular reports about the food and hospitality etc and the team seem to spend ALOT of time on overnight stays.

The planning seems to be attrocious especially where refuelling is concerned and lift outs for maintenance. Every journal update seems to finish with, we just missed refueling this evening becasue the marina staff have gone home or we can't get a lift out until Monday. Their agents should be twisiting arms to get fueling berths to refuel the SOC and arrange for essential lift outs to happen. Otherwise what are those agents doing apart from pushing a bit paper.

It seems to me in the last journal that they are resigned to coming second to C&W and are now just concerned with getting their boat back to uk waters.



yada yada..<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by wakeup on Mon May 20 10:07:19 2002 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[tcm]

Re: agents

not sure what they have organised in terms of ground staff? They have some mates etc, but think that financial constraints means no (or hardly any) agents?

 

[jfm]

Re: agents

Spect that's right. C+W challenger used Inchcape Shipping Services, who are world's biggest port agents, to arrange bunkering, immigration etc.

IMHO the weather delays (or not) are always going to be down to luck but one of the sadder parts of SoC is they wasted too much time earlier on by not carrying some pretty obvious spares like outdrive leg, etc

 

[kimhollamby]

Re: agents

C&W team also undertook comprehensive site visits prior to the attempt and, crucially, they were not underfunded. They had an oil company on board (BP), Cummins arranged engineers at every stopover and they had a lot less stopovers to contend with. Challenger still exists and it is likely she could take quite a lump off her own record if funds and desire ever made that possible. Perhaps the fact she effectively had time in hand will always prove a tantalising prospect now?

If nothing else I guess Alan Priddy is managing to prove that round the world may be the one challenge genuinely worthy of the name for powered craft. Proof positive that you need a lot of back-up, financial and otherwise, plus a healthy portion of luck and a constitution that can survive arriving home about two inches shorter thanks to concertina spine.

kim_hollamby@ipcmedia.com

 

[DepSol]

Re: agents

The record is also seperate for under and over 50 foot so you may not beat someone else but may set a diffeent class record.

Dom


I just want my boat back in the water ;-(

 

[coliholic]

Ah but he WILL get the record

See that they're resigned to setting the fastest round the world journey from and to Cardiff. Now there's a major acheivement isn't it, eh?

In common with Ms Robinson, I can understand why anyone would want to leave Cardiff, but can't for the life of me see why anyone would aim to get back there. Especially quicker than anyone else.

So he's going to get the record. Three cheers for our brave boyos.