Branson's Record (part 2)

[masaccio]

Branson\'s Record (part 2)

Just in case any one is interested (and following on from a previous post here), the Sealegs amphi-RIB thing beat Branson's cross-channel record by a distance, crossing in 43 mins 12 seconds compared to 1 hour 40 mins from the Aquada. One of the blokes in the pics look suspiciously like Hugo Andreaeaea, so brace yourselves for a breathless report in next month's MBY (TCM, perhaps you'd like to start us off on that one...?)

 

[KevB]

Re: Branson\'s Record (part 2)

Have you seen pictures of that thing? Can hardly call it amphibious. It's a boat with 3 wheels bolted to the bottom. I believe it only does 5mph on land. And what about the hovercrafts that used to cross the channel. They did in about 30 mins, day in day out. They're anphibious aren't they?

 

[tcm]

Oh dear - september editorial follows

We boaters fancy ourselves as an adventurous lot. But for some of us, modern-day responsibilities weigh heavily on our shoulders. It’s not always that easy to drop everything and set off on a selfish jaunt, with nary a thought for those waiting patiently for us by the fireside at home. So it was only after a good deal of persuasion and cajoling from everyone else in the office that I finally agreed to …go to the pub.

Some hours later I woke up in a bit of a state on the south coast, being manhandled aboard a lurid Heath-Robinson creation purporting to be an amphibious vessel. Apparently, after 3hours in the pub, I had agreed to go across the channel in a RIB (that’s a rigid inflatable boat) with some poxy motorised wheels, and which could thereby (just about) call itself an amphibian. I must have been utterly, utterly slaughtered.

There followed almost an hour of godawful crashing through the waves and a lot of cheering that we’d “beaten Richard Branson”, whoever he is. It took 43 minutes which seems incredibly fast to me. But back in the office, they weren’t terribly impressed – just over 30knots they scoffed – apparently a decent tender could go faster and beat the record if they fixed roller skates underneath.

Now I personally am not a great fan of record breaking. Actually, to tell you the truth, I’m not actually a great fan of going fast either. But I do like firesides, and hearthrugs, and home. Which is where I am now, nice cup of tea, slippers on, dreaming of our annual holiday, pootling around somewhere rubbish probably near Chichester, and doing some fishing. NOT going fast, and NOT in the med, hence there won’t be any more daft exotic jaunts while I’m in charge, and DEFINITELY no more stupid speed record stunts. It wasn’t my idea, okay?

 

[SteveE]

Re: Branson\'s Record (part 2)

Maybe Branson should go for the London to Paris record by car (without traveling on an alternative form of transport) and lets see if that hidious rib creation wins then?

 

[masaccio]

Re: Neither fish nor fowl

I personally think they're all rubbish. You just can't make a decent boat out of a car, nor a decent car out of a boat. The Aquada was over-priced, over-hyped and probably not very good either as a car or a boat (they won't let anyone test one, so we'll never know). This amphiRIB thing looks like a half-decent RIB, but not really built for anything other than slipways and boat-parks. The only decent amphibian vehicles are military things which at least have some balls to make up for the fact that they're neither fish nor fowl.

 

[KevB]

Re: Neither fish nor fowl

[ QUOTE ]
(they won't let anyone test one, so we'll never know).

[/ QUOTE ]

Aquada had one of their cars/boats in Chichester marina last year, I know you couldn't put it through it's paces but anyone could have a go, both on land and in the water. A poster on here, Hydropool had a go.

 

[masaccio]

Re: Neither fish nor fowl

I'd love to give it a proper try, but I'll probably never get the chance. I suspect that things like tyres, gearing and freeboard compromise it horribly. If it's to be any good on the road it probably won't get up steep slippery slipways or keep the water out. And if it's to be good in the water, it will be a useless sportscar.