Bentley boys to cross Atlantic unassisted in a pedalo
Two young Bentley engineers are taking on one of the most extreme challenges on the planet, with the ambitious goals of setting a new World Record and raising £250,000 for charity.
In December 2011, engineers Mark Byass and Mike Sayer will attempt to traverse 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean, in a self designed and built pedal-powered boat dubbed “Torpedalo”. This state-of-the-art nine-metre long carbon fibre pedalo, the first of its kind, will travel from the Canary Isles to Antigua.
They will be racing against a fleet of approximately 25 rowing boats in what some have rated the Toughest Athletic Challenge in the world – the Woodvale Challenge Atlantic Rowing Race – and are the first entrants to attempt to pedal, rather than row, themselves in the biannual event. A pedalo has only ever crossed the Atlantic once, in 1994, taking 111 days; Mark and Mike are aiming to complete the journey in just 40 days, and would be the first to have done so in a self-built vessel.
About the Torpedalo: Form Follows Function
The Torpedalo will be the most technologically advanced human-powered boat ever built, featuring a unique design optimised for a World-Record-breaking expedition. Torpedalo’s speed, balance and hydrodynamics have undergone extensive simulation and testing at Newcastle University’s hydrodynamic towing tank. The high-tech, totally self-sufficient vessel will be constructed entirely of carbon fibre, and will include integrated solar panels for electricity generation, a desalination system for making fresh water from the ocean and GPS, radar and satellite phone systems.
“We have rigorously developed the Torpedalo over the last 12 months, with tremendous support and resources provided by the hydrodynamics lab at Newcastle University. Bentley Motors, where we’re both employed, have encouraged us to utilise its vast design and engineering expertise,” reports Mark.
“We hope to break records in the Torpedalo, which would be a real feat, considering neither Mike nor I has any nautical experience whatsoever. We believe we now have a boat design that will help us break records – if we can pedal it hard enough... and for long enough!”
In anticipation of the journey, Mike and Mark have also constructed a web site – Torpedalo.com – to chronicle their adventures in fundraising, designing and building the boat, to provide facts and figures about the impending challenge, and to regularly update followers once they set out on the Atlantic in 2011.
The Torpedalo’s journey will be a distinctly perilous one, with commercial shipping vessels, bad weather, huge waves, and even sharks all posing a significant threat – indeed, all of these factors have caused rowing boats to retire from ocean rowing races in the past. Mark and Mike leave the Canaries on 4th December 2011, heading out in to the vast and dangerous waters of the Atlantic. They’ll operate a shift pattern, so the boat is always moving, and will change places between the pedalling position and the sleeping cabin every two hours. To avoid salt sores, like the rowing crews, they’ll be naked for the entire journey.
Mike commented “The naked thing always fascinates people! Fortunately we’re very good mates, and there’s only room for one of us in each compartment, so hopefully it won’t be too awkward. It will certainly help us to focus on pedalling and sleeping!”
After almost a year of research and design progress, the Torpedalo’s painstaking build process is now set to begin. The boat will be ready and in the water by June 2011, at which point trials on Loch Ness and the Irish Sea will commence.
About Project Torpedalo’s Inspiration and Fundraising Commitment
The Torpedalo project was started in January 2010, with the principle aim of raising £250,000 for two charities – the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association and Make-A-Wish Foundation® UK.
“Ever since my grandfather died of MND in 2005, I’ve wanted to raise money for the main MND charity in the UK,” said Mike. “He was a great man, and one who never baulked at a challenge. Mark and I miss our grandfathers every day. The project is dedicated to their memory.”
The team also wanted to raise money for a charity that works with children, and Make-A-Wish were the perfect choice. Mark added:
“Make-A-Wish does an incredible job, and with our target donation they’d be able to send 125 children and their families to Disneyland. We’re delighted to be able to support them.”
In addition to the sizeable philanthropic commitment, Mike and Mark have garnered support from almost 50 companies to design and build the state-of-the-art Torpedalo, and to prepare for their journey. All of the businesses have provided complimentary equipment or services. Two large businesses, Autodesk and HoloVis, generously provided the £15,000 race entry fee between them.
Many other firms from across the country are supporting the project with supplies of equipment, including Henri Lloyd for customised and branded Project Torpedalo clothing and custom-made on-board storage compartments, and John Burn Ltd for construction materials.
As Mark and Mike face 2011, they eagerly face the immense challenge of beginning to raise £250,000 to support the MNDA and Make-A-Wish. It is their hope that the physical and mental commitment they have made will inspire donations toward their journey, and for others to challenge themselves to lives of civic responsibility in honour of their own heroes.
Project progress can be followed through Torpedalo.com. Updates and progress may also be followed via Twitter and Facebook by searching for “Torpedalo” online.
