Bladerunner provides the official boat to carry the torch to the Olympic stadium
One of the stars of the opening ceremony was this Bladerunner BR RIB35X sportsboat, piloted by a certain David Beckham.
The Bladerunner, fitted with twin 350hp Mercury Verado supercharged 4 stroke outboards, is capable of 77knots (88mph). With David at the helm, the Torch on the bow and Bladerunner MD Jeremy Watts working as throttle-man, the boat lit the up the Thames with its neon deck and underwater lighting as it powered under Tower Bridge and on to the stadium.
In terms of wind resistance, this must surely have been the torch’s greatest trial over its 8000 mile journey. The flame survived the journey, and explained the decision to have the torch design wind-tunnel-tested at a special laboratory in Germany.
See the video here
