Round-the-world race scheduled for November 2013 after fire scuppers chance of challenge this year
Renowned boat adventurer Alan Priddy will go head-to-head with an American team in a round-the-world powerboat race scheduled for November next year.
Priddy’s attempts to take the round-the-world record from New Zealander Pete Bethune this year were scuppered by a fire at the yard where his boat, Accomplish More, was being built.
While the damage was mostly confined to a neighbouring shed, Priddy told MBY the heat from the blaze undermined the structural integrity of the aluminium in his boat, meaning the whole thing had to be scrapped.
“I can’t go to sea knowing the boat may not be able to do the job. It was a tough decision, but it was the right one as well,” Priddy said.
The new boat will be built by ABC Marine on Hayling Island, with work set to begin in the coming weeks. The design of the new boat will exactly mimic the previous craft, only it will contain a further cabin to take crew capacity to 12.
The new challenge to take on the US in a round-the-world race came about after Priddy was approached by an American team earlier this year.
The US effort, known as Project Gratitude, will set off from Puerto Rico in November 2013, while Priddy and team will start from Gibraltar. Both teams believe they can take at least 10 days off Pete Bethune’s 61-day record.
“Now we feel we have the best chance of bringing the round-the-world record back to Great Britain in 2013 – this is our chance to show that Britain really does rule the waves,” Priddy said.
Subscribe to the print version of MBY
Subscribe to the digital version of MBY
