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Spirit of Cardiff has returned safely to Cardiff, passing through the Cardiff Bay Barrage lock at exactly 4pm accompanied by cheering and a loud display of daylight fireworks!
Spirit of Cardiff entering Cardiff Bay Barrage lock number 1
Spirit of Cardiff's 3,544 mile route took her from New York to St John's in Newfoundland, where the boat was refuelled and re-provisioned in two and a half hours. From there she made her way to Horta in the Azores, where, battered and bruised after fighting their way for 24 hours through converging storms, the crew laid over for a day. Having by now lost the Cable and Wireless Adventurer's New York to Horta record, skipper Alan Priddy decided not to attempt the Horta to Gibraltar record, opting instead to come straight back to Britain. This way he could be sure not to let down the Cardiff Bay Harbour Authority, sponsors of this voyage, who had a fixed deadline for Spirit's return!
A big thumbs up from Alan
As well as setting a record for the fastest passage from New York to Cardiff, it appears that Spirit of Cardiff has also set a new official world record for the fastest Atlantic crossing. This has come about due to a convenient bureaucratic coincidence! Last year the Union Internationale Motonautique -- the international governing body of powerboating -- changed the official finishing point for trans Atlantic records from Bishop's Rock in the Scillies to Lizard Point in Cornwall. Spirit of Cardiff is the first boat to complete the new course, and has set a record of 248 hours 47 minutes.
TV crew aboard ABP's pilot boat
Spirit was escorted for the last few miles by ABP's pilot boat from Cardiff and their new pilot cutter which had come from Swansea for the occasion. Our TV crew were aboard the pilot boat to capture Spirit of Cardiff's return. They will be combining their footage with video shot on board by Clive Tully throughout the voyage to produce a television feature about the New York to Cardiff voyage which will be shown later this year.
Steve Lloyd being interviewed about the voyage
Alan and the crew were congratulated on behalf of Cardiff by Deputy Mayor Phil Robinson, and after a series of television interviews they joined the VIP reception which was attended by local dignitaries including the Lord Mayor Russell Goodway, Assembly Member Lorraine Barrett and Alun Michael MP.
All the crew posing in their new Raymarine hats!
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