The Smallest Boat to Cross The Atlantic Ocean – Andrew Bedwell - Guinness World Record Challenge
Destination: Atlantic Ocean
Mission: Smallest boat to make the crossing
Timeline: Sea Trials Late 2022/early 2023
Record attempt – Mid May to July/Aug 2023
Currently the smallest sailing vessel to cross the Atlantic Ocean is ‘Father’s Day’, completed back in 1993 by Hugo Vihlen from Florida in the USA, the boat measuring 5ft4 inch (162 cm). Previously that year Tom McNally gained the Guinness world record in a 5ft 4 1⁄2 “(163.5cm), but Hugo beat him later that same year by 1.5cm.
Our aim and specifically myself, Andrew Bedwell, is to bring the world record back to the UK, in Big ‘C’, a boat measuring a little over a metre that was designed and mostly built by Tom McNally (the crazy Liverpudlian sailor) to retake his record before he died in 2017 of cancer. So, we’ve finished the build, modified to suit my build, and has now had the first sea trials, with more planned for later this and early next year
Sailing records gain masses of media interest around the world, within the UK and Europe (in particular France), massively interested in the sport of sailing. This attempt has smashed all our expectations of the media interest, as all but one of the UK Newspapers took it into print, and one running a weekend double page spread. Online however it has gained huge, huge media.
Attention all round the world, if you google ‘Big C Atlantic challenge’, you will see it’s been reported on TV, Radio, Luxury goods media channels, and hundreds more.... It’s captured the attention of all.
I will be setting off from St Johns Newfoundland, mid-May combining the trade winds and gulf stream to sail to the UK, a passage of 1900 miles across the North Atlantic, a very unpredictable sea which I have sailed across twice before alone on a previous small yacht of just 6.5 metres long.
I once again, as per my other passages across the Northern Atlantic, I will be unsupported without a vessel for rescue, however as I am a crewmember on another world record challenge ‘Team Britannia’, around the world
powerboat record. Alan Priddy has agreed that should I need rescuing he would come out in his vessel so no outside rescue would be required, taking away the concern for any
outside rescue assistance required.
The vessel itself although only a little over 1 metre long is ultra- seaworthy and safe, with 12 separate compartments to maintain floatation even if few are submerged/flooded.
I will be lowering my food intake levels to a meagre 1500 calories a day, and food will be mainly bars that will be made and moulded into the boat for maximum usage of space. There will be no heating/rehydrating of food onboard due to the issue of having gas/flames onboard. For water I will be taking a manual desalinator that will be used to turn salt water into fresh water.
The vessel will be compliant with maritime standards and is trackable the whole time. I will also be taking a satellite phone that will allow me to communicate with my shore crew and to get
Advice of incoming weather, but also onboard I have an Icom AIS transponder, a separate AIS receiver with VHF, a handheld VHF, PLB, Iridium Edge Solar, and a Skylink (which dependent on weather and battery conditions will allow me to be able to call in/go live with video updates)
The vessel has 2 sails which can be branded to the sponsors requirements, and can be divided up into numerous different configurations, to suit the sponsors budget/requirements. The orange side pods on the photo to the left have already been sponsored and am awaiting a full wrap to be applied.
We will be looking to raise money for a cancer charity, as Tom McNally died of cancer (the actual charity will be decided with the sponsors), and this will be donated after the event.
We need to raise another £25-30K, this is fluctuating due to the huge changes in the cost of transportation for me and the vessel out to St Johns, Newfoundland.
We really believe this is an amazing sponsorship opportunity for a reasonable outlay in corporate terms. Please do not hesitate to contact me on +447740856527 or on email: abedwell_uk@yahoo.co.uk.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Andrew.