Dickson to join Sealegs on Cook Strait record bid

Tuesday 15th January 2008

Sealegs today announced plans to make a new attempt next week on the record crossing of Cook Strait by an amphibious vehicle.

Former America's Cup skipper and new Sealegs board member Chris Dickson will join CEO David McKee Wright on the record attempt next Wednesday, January 23.

The crossing will start at Arapawa Island in the Marlborough Sounds at 7am with the finish planned for Cable Bay near Makara Beach.

An earlier record attempt last October was postponed because of gale-force winds.

McKee Wright believes this will be the first ever record crossing of Cook Strait by an amphibious boat.

"We've done a search and can find no record time listed for any pleasure craft", he says. "So it may even set the record point-to-point crossing of Cook Strait by any outboard powered boat."

For the record attempt Sealegs will use its new-generation 7.1m Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB), which can comfortably seat up to 8 adults and has a payload of 700kg. It is capable of speeds approaching 80kms in flat conditions and the crossing may be completed in less than 30mins.

Back in 2005, a Sealegs 5.6m RIB driven by company founder Maurice Bryham staked its place in the Guinness Book of Records when it shattered the English Channel record mark for an amphibious vehicle completing the 21 nautical miles from Dover to Calais in 43mins 12secs.

This halved the previous record of 1hr 40mins 6secs set a year earlier by UK entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson.

Source: Press Release, Sealegs Corporation

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