Who wants a crack at a record?

EricW · Post by **EricW** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 7:18 pm

This just might be a bit "off the wall" but I have always been somewhat
interested in records (of the Guinness Book type). I have held a few myself
and was the first person to fly non-stop from North Cape to Bluff. ( in 1975,
with Gavin Ellis, former editor of the Herald, as crew).

So it is with considerable interest that I have discovered that, back in 1960,
three people drove a Citroen Light 15 from Cape Reinga Light House to the top
of Bluff Hill in 23hrs 54 minutes.

This record is sufficiently old that it should not be allowed to atrophy,
perhaps we should, as someone once said, "knock the B... off" in an MX5.

I am pretty sure that it is achievable, without driving like a maniac, but it
would be an interesting logistical and planning exercise, you need to avoid
the Auckland traffic and need to make ferrries at the last moment, without
missing them, and so on. It has to be a planning achievment, not a flat out
"gumball rally" we pretty much need to keep to the limits so as not to make it
disreputable.

Any body interested in looking at it? We would need a team, as two people
could not do it safely with driving hours.

Expressions of interest welcome.

Eric

peter · Post by **peter** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 7:33 pm

Hello Eric.

Sounds like fun, but would you risk attempting the record with just one car? I would suggest several teams would ensure a better chance at breaking the record, by travelling different routes etc.

Shame we didn't do this last year when petrol was cheap!

Peter

DRGN1

peter · Post by **peter** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 7:33 pm

Hello Eric.

Sounds like fun, but would you risk attempting the record with just one car? I would suggest several teams would ensure a better chance at breaking the record, by travelling different routes etc.

Shame we didn't do this last year when petrol was cheap!

Peter

DRGN1

Mike Jolley · Post by **Mike Jolley** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 8:54 pm

how was snail race???
did peter take stripes off to slow down??
shifted house sat so missed,damn. mike

Mike Jolley · Post by **Mike Jolley** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 8:54 pm

how was snail race???
did peter take stripes off to slow down??
shifted house sat so missed,damn. mike

EricW · Post by **EricW** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 9:01 pm

Yes Pete,

I actually believe that, if we were to do this, particularly if in any way
associated with the club, we would need to do it with a single car and a
reasonably robust set of rules, so that there is no suggestion of a "race".

The whole point would be to set the record by good planning and good driving
and hitting all of the marks, not simply by driving as fast as possible.

The other point is that one driver needs to go all the way, it is not a relay,
one person has to set the record. Up front, I will say that I am keen to be
the man, but it's a team thing, it's more important to do it properly than to
stroke anyone's ego.

As for the best route, it would be interesting to see what one of your
company's products actually thinks is the best route!

Eric

ianbell · Post by **ianbell** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 7:10 am

Eric
fly the car across Cook Strait from Wgtn to Blenheim. Its not far to backtrack
to Picton to start the S.I. leg
Ian Bell

ianbell · Post by **ianbell** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 7:10 am

Eric
fly the car across Cook Strait from Wgtn to Blenheim. Its not far to backtrack
to Picton to start the S.I. leg
Ian Bell

Mike Jolley · Post by **Mike Jolley** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 7:56 am

Is safe air still running to blenheim?? mike

Mike Jolley · Post by **Mike Jolley** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 7:56 am

Is safe air still running to blenheim?? mike

Simon Lord · Post by **Simon Lord** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 8:41 am

Sounds like a wonderful idea - with a new NC and Navman involved, we could
probably get enough publicity to add a charity angle too if anyone felt so
inclined. Rocketship for the Starship? Or should we take up a collection to
pay the fines of the PM's motorcade crew...?

Simon

Simon Lord · Post by **Simon Lord** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 8:41 am

Sounds like a wonderful idea - with a new NC and Navman involved, we could
probably get enough publicity to add a charity angle too if anyone felt so
inclined. Rocketship for the Starship? Or should we take up a collection to
pay the fines of the PM's motorcade crew...?

Simon

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 8:55 am

Safe Air have not been flying for many years now.
How did the Citreon cross the Strait in 1960 or did they not include the
crossing time? Would have been a slow trip back then before the roll on
ferries arrived presumably. Perhaps they used Safe Air then.
Grant, watching this with interest!

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 8:55 am

Safe Air have not been flying for many years now.
How did the Citreon cross the Strait in 1960 or did they not include the
crossing time? Would have been a slow trip back then before the roll on
ferries arrived presumably. Perhaps they used Safe Air then.
Grant, watching this with interest!

Mike Jolley · Post by **Mike Jolley** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 8:57 am

Perhaps tye in with air force??although would have to be from wellington not
ohakea. Mike

Mike Jolley · Post by **Mike Jolley** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 8:57 am

Perhaps tye in with air force??although would have to be from wellington not
ohakea. Mike

Ian Chapman · Post by **Ian Chapman** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 9:44 am

By my calcs, if you want a chance at beating the record, it would have to exclude the ferry time or you will need air across the strait.

As a guide of 2000km (based on using SH1 from Cape to Bluff) and a target time of 23:30 (to beat record by 25 minutes) ... then excluding ferry time that equates to an overall average of 85 km/hr which I would think is about the best you could expect with all of the towns and traffic (and to get credibility for the record and publicity/sponsorship) you would need to ensure no speeding. If the ferry crossing time is included in the total time then the 23:30 total time is about 20:30 driving time (allowing 3 hours on boat) then the average increases to 98 km/hr - not possible with sponsorship and publicity and traffic and yellow and blue Commodores.

If the strait time needs to be included, air at about one hour across (load car, flying and unloaded and back track to Picton) then that leaves 22:30 driving so about 89 km/hr.

Also 2000km equals about 4 refueling stops (five tanks of gas for whole journey) at say 5 minutes each will decrease driving total time by 20 mins which adds about 2 km/hr to above average speed.

Now with a quicker (possibly shorter, but not necessarily) route and some exceptional planning and a plane across the strait you could well have yourself a record! What a great way to promote a new car like the NC!

Sounds like a great adventure to me!

Ian

Ian Chapman

Ian Chapman · Post by **Ian Chapman** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 9:44 am

By my calcs, if you want a chance at beating the record, it would have to exclude the ferry time or you will need air across the strait.

As a guide of 2000km (based on using SH1 from Cape to Bluff) and a target time of 23:30 (to beat record by 25 minutes) ... then excluding ferry time that equates to an overall average of 85 km/hr which I would think is about the best you could expect with all of the towns and traffic (and to get credibility for the record and publicity/sponsorship) you would need to ensure no speeding. If the ferry crossing time is included in the total time then the 23:30 total time is about 20:30 driving time (allowing 3 hours on boat) then the average increases to 98 km/hr - not possible with sponsorship and publicity and traffic and yellow and blue Commodores.

If the strait time needs to be included, air at about one hour across (load car, flying and unloaded and back track to Picton) then that leaves 22:30 driving so about 89 km/hr.

Also 2000km equals about 4 refueling stops (five tanks of gas for whole journey) at say 5 minutes each will decrease driving total time by 20 mins which adds about 2 km/hr to above average speed.

Now with a quicker (possibly shorter, but not necessarily) route and some exceptional planning and a plane across the strait you could well have yourself a record! What a great way to promote a new car like the NC!

Sounds like a great adventure to me!

Ian

Ian Chapman

EricW · Post by **EricW** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 3:23 pm

Thanks for the input thus far people. I think this is worth taking further.

What I will do from here is get a few of the Auckland bods together and scope
it out, (no slur intended on anyone else, it's just that they are closer to
me) and then take it to our club commitee for their support and assistance.

Once we have some firm ideas as to how we are going to tackle it we can come
back with some specific requests for help with route planning and timing etc,
and local knowledge.

We will also need some drivers, as we cannot do this trip safely with the same
two people in the car all the way, and then some other drivers to get those
extra drivers home again. So this could end up being a National Club effort

One thing though, the car will have to go across the ferry, it needs to be a
surface based attempt, and in fact you would probably gain little by air on a
hop that short, because you would have to drain the tank of the car, to carry
it in anything that could fly it, and the smallest aircraft which can carry an
MX5, other than a Hercules, is a 737, and they don't go to Blenheim. By the
time you load it and unload it and get back to the road starting point you
might even be behind.

Thanks Guys

Eric

Mike Jolley · Post by **Mike Jolley** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 6:48 pm

Be in before Kikora to christchurch speed limit is droped. mike

Mike Jolley · Post by **Mike Jolley** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 6:48 pm

Be in before Kikora to christchurch speed limit is droped. mike

A Carpenter · Post by **A Carpenter** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 7:51 pm

----- As far as I can find out only options for taking car by air accroos
the cook strait are the air force ( in Hercules) whom I visited today and they
may oblige us if good publicity for them. Only other option is by helicopter
but would bee too dependent on weather.
PS may be able to take 3 cars in hercules in one trip
Regards Drina
From: Mike Jolley
To: MX5List
Sent: Monday, August 29, 2005 7:56 AM
Subject: Re: Who wants a crack at a record?

Is safe air still running to blenheim?? mike

A Carpenter · Post by **A Carpenter** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 7:51 pm

----- As far as I can find out only options for taking car by air accroos
the cook strait are the air force ( in Hercules) whom I visited today and they
may oblige us if good publicity for them. Only other option is by helicopter
but would bee too dependent on weather.
PS may be able to take 3 cars in hercules in one trip
Regards Drina
From: Mike Jolley
To: MX5List
Sent: Monday, August 29, 2005 7:56 AM
Subject: Re: Who wants a crack at a record?

Is safe air still running to blenheim?? mike

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