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Men inspired by Top Gear attempt Irish Sea crossing in Renault Laguna car

Thursday, 29 October 2009

The team with their amphibious Renault Laguna during sea tests in Bangor Marina

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An audacious plan to set a new world record for the fastest amphibious crossing of the Irish Sea has been hatched by four men from Northern Ireland.

The Sir Tristram is an amphibious car devised by Peter Martin and crewed by Carl McConkey, Rick Miles and Mark Farrell.

What was once a mere Renault Laguna is now much more and has been renamed Sir Tristram after the RFA ship which served in the Falklands War.

Fitted with an outboard motor, lots of foam and a bilge pump, it’s about to take on the mammoth task of navigating the Irish Sea. The journey is 23 miles and will take about six hours to complete.

Peter (38), from Bangor, built the vehicle after watching similar daring contraptions on the Top Gear programme.

“We built one called Sir Galahad two years ago thinking that it would be easy,” he said. “It wasn’t, and it sank in four minutes. However I decided to give it another go. I’m a lecturer and had the whole summer off, and thought the idea could work.

“It will be a very challenging experience but it is going towards Help for Heroes. It deals with injured British service personnel coming back from Afghanistan.”

This is the third voyage of Sir Tris, previously she had been out on a ‘sea trial’ and then on a seven-mile trip down the coast from Bangor to the Copeland Islands

“Nearly everyone on shore thought we wouldn’t make it, but confidence rides high on the boat — at one point some of the crew even got in a little fishing,” added Peter.

It will be sold on eBay after the event. The crew have been collecting sponsorship from supporters and now they have a justgiving account at www.justgiving.co.uk/sirtristram

Sea Trial

The Copelands

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24 Comments

Pauline ---TG spent apparently £20,000 - these boys did it in £450 (doesn't seem equitable for the extra 2 miles)

Posted by Henry | 05.11.09, 22:36 GMT

Well done on reading the title Pauline

Posted by Smoot | 01.11.09, 08:07 GMT

Terry just to let you know the guys made it no probs. Hope you have nothing better to do than make a donation to Help For Heroes and do something worthy instead of being incredibly sour. For your information we were in a rescue boat with the boys free of charge and were glad to assist the lads if they got into trouble. Maybe if more folks were willing to give up time money and effort to help others the world would be a better place. Go on do your bit and stop wasting oxygen!!!!

Posted by Ricky | 31.10.09, 23:27 GMT

Awesome lad's!! Show em how the Norn Irish do things!

Posted by Alan | 31.10.09, 21:23 GMT

Copying the guys off top gear I see

Top gear did this across the english channel

Posted by Pauline | 30.10.09, 16:41 GMT

I think its a fantastic idea.!!

All the very best of luck lads may the weather stay fair for you..!!

Posted by Alan | 30.10.09, 10:32 GMT

Just a good advice, small 12V sump pump on the floor :D

Posted by Michael | 29.10.09, 23:49 GMT

Good luck boys!

(...hmmm, some sort of stirrup pump required for bailing methinks)

Posted by Admiral Nelson | 29.10.09, 20:37 GMT

Could they devise a device to mine radioactivity from the Irish Sea to power a small reactor?

Just a thought :-)

Posted by MS | 29.10.09, 19:38 GMT

Lorna,

It was Peter Duncan who tried in the Orange Beetle.

Unfortunatly the forecast for Saturday is not great. Wishing you the best of luck

Posted by musicdee | 29.10.09, 18:53 GMT

glad to see marine engineering is still alive and kicking in ireland - lets hope there are no iceberg type obstacles on the maiden voyage...........

Posted by willie float | 29.10.09, 16:56 GMT

love the comment from Terry who clearly is bullied by his wife:) As they say in NI 'get a life'

Great job boys and it's super to see some people trying to make a difference in an unusual way...

Posted by Henry | 29.10.09, 16:11 GMT

Terry, unlike some people these guys are up for a laugh and are intent on making a postive difference at the same time. Good luck folks!

Not everyone is an unloved, pessimist and hates the world! xoxo

Posted by Andrew | 29.10.09, 16:06 GMT

Great Idea! Nice to see some fun in Northern Ireland!

Also great to see the the majority of comments are nice too.

Posted by Scott | 29.10.09, 15:38 GMT

They should fit a few cannon on board and declare the Copelands an independant nation!

Good luck with the fund raising lads.

Posted by Centaur | 29.10.09, 15:30 GMT

Wouldnt drive down the road in a Laguna let alone across the sea. Owned one and it was a god awful unreliable lump of junk which made we want to literally cry most of the time so fair play for pure bravery.

Posted by soarer | 29.10.09, 15:29 GMT

Well done everyone and all the best for tomorrow. Wrap up warmly!
Enjoyed the movies so far.

Posted by Lynda | 29.10.09, 15:13 GMT

Does anyone remember the man who used to sail back and forth from Donaghadee to Portpatrick in a Volkswagon Beetle?

Posted by Lorna | 29.10.09, 14:15 GMT

Has this guy not got better things to do? The car will probably sink and these idiots will need rescued by a helicopter - loosing cover for 'serious' mariners like fishermen for example. I really don't see the point, what a stupid idea!

Posted by Terry | 29.10.09, 13:13 GMT