Ian Sanderson and Peter Dredge have covered 650 nautical miles in 12 hours of intensive powerboating around the Isle Of Wight
Ian Sanderson and Peter Dredge have covered 650 nautical miles in 12 hours of intensive powerboating around the Isle Of Wight in their bid to set a series of new records for endurance powerboating. This compared to the 636 miles that they were able to clock up during their first 24 hour run in Dubai in January, a tribute to the better weather on offer off the south coast.
They passed their fourth milestone at 21.28 BST today, when they upped the existing World 12-hour record to an average speed of 54.16 knots in the Sunseeker XS Racing XS2000 powerboat, having already taken the British records for both 5 and 10 laps of the Isle Of Wight and World 6-hour record earlier in the day.
The team has continued to circulate the Island at between 55-60 minutes a lap, and the third re-fuelling took place in nine minutes, allowing the boat to get back out for its 13th lap in the 12-hour span. In the 11th and 12th hours running, the wind continued to blow from the southwest but as predicted by the team’s weather consultant, Norman Lynagh, it moderated at nightfall, leaving the crew to play a tactical game over the hours of darkness.
The plan is to “back off” through the night, which in this team’s case means still running at 40-knots, before giving a final faster push at daybreak. The next target is the 18-hour World record at 03.28 this morning.
