The Spirit of Cardiff crew, Alan Priddy, Steve Lloyd and Clive Tully, met one another for the first time since their epic voyage around the world came to an untimely end in Canada in July...
The Spirit of Cardiff crew, Alan Priddy, Steve Lloyd and Clive Tully, met one another for the first time since their epic voyage around the world came to an untimely end in Canada in July with Steve’s heart attack. They appeared at the Spirit of Cardiff visitor centre at Cardiff Bay.
Winding up the three and a half year project, Alan Priddy highlighted the huge advantages of the visitor centre, which, with its throughput of visitors from all over the world, made it not just one of Cardiff’s top tourist attractions, but helped to achieve a truly global awareness of the Spirit of Cardiff around the world project. Alan also paid tribute to the enthusiasm and dedication of the volunteers who manned the visitor centre.
As for the crew themselves, their futures are not perhaps as certain as they would have liked, but they can pride themselves on the fact that Spirit of Cardiff did indeed go around the world in a little over 80 days. As many have pointed out, taking Spirit’s transatlantic crossing last year into account, the boat has circumnavigated the world from St John’s, Newfoundland. Adding the times of last year’s two legs from St John’s with this year’s round the world legs produces an “at sea” time of 80 days 24 minutes. Not a record, of course, but still a huge achievement.
Alan also thanked Spirit of Cardiff’s many supporters. The crew’s will to carry on throughout the voyage’s many well-publicised difficulties was as much down to a desire not to let them down.
Since finishing the trip, Clive Tully has been working flat out to write his book about the awesome adventures of Spirit of Cardiff. It’s a compelling story, not just of the epic round the world voyage itself, but the fascinating background to the project, the design of a unique boat, the earlier record-breaking voyages, and the sorry story surrounding the empty promises of sponsorship and support.
“Confronting Poseidon – around the world against the odds” is ultimately a story about the triumph of the human spirit, and the dogged determination to carry on when giving up would have been so much easier.
“Confronting Poseidon” will be available in hardback during December, price ‘19.99, and the first 1,000 copies will be signed by the crew. Orders cannot be taken just yet, but to register your interest, please email alan@offshore-expeditions.com
Clive Tully
