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Cape Town to London Record Attempt
Two years ago, Max Adventure with a three-man team in an old Discovery, set off to beat a record that had stood since 1963 for the drive from London to Cape Town, they knocked whole days off the time.
Now the best-ever time (one thousand miles for ten days) is to be attempted in a tiny Fiat Panda, hoping to beat the 1983 Record, set up by the British Army, of 14 days from Cape Town to London. http://chelmsfordmc.co.uk/files/py/A...headon_500.jpg Check out the preparations here: Fiat Panda World Record Attempt | Africa Record Run The dynamic duo set off on Feb 1st. http://www.facebook.com/AfricaWorldRecordRun https://twitter.com/AfricaRecordRun |
Newsflash! Veteran regional news broadcaster Fred Dineage is interviewing Philip Young and Paul Brace on the ITV Meridian network, which may or may not go across Southern England or just a bit of it, around 6.0pm. (18/1/13)
No excuses allowed for a spot of snow then… with the Fiat Dealer in Basingstoke also trekking to the Southampton studio to provide the essential prop – a white Panda to wheel before the cameras. TV debut follows on from the half page in the Sunday Telegraph, and national BBC radio broadcasts. Meanwhile, the ship carrying the Panda is inching its way through high seas towards Southern Africa, but due to the winds cant dock at Cape Town. Problems, problems…and the planned border crossing that is all new - opening up a land-based frontier between north Sudan and southern Egypt - is now not opening in January, as was originally announced… the headaches continue. Fiat Panda World Record Attempt | Africa Record Run http://chelmsfordmc.co.uk/files/py/A...kedown_500.jpg |
Here is the interview:
Cape Town to London - Africa Record Run. ITV interview - YouTube The real car must be near South Africa by now. |
Just 17 hours to go.
Yesterday was spent unpacking, checking and cleaning the car. http://www.africarecordrun.com/gpics...carwash300.jpg After much heated debate it was decided to ditch more items, both personal and car spares in favour of weight and more space for sleeping. This morning Philip and Paul have been on the Expresso Breakfast Show: Cape Town to London: Africa Record Run | Presenter For more go to Fiat Panda World Record Attempt | Africa Record Run The YellowBrick tracker is now live on the car. |
They crossed into Zambia on the Kazungula ferry just a day after starting, having covered 2,400 km:
http://www.africarecordrun.com/pictures/ferry_01.jpg The Panda is performing magnificently. Follow the Fiat Panda Yellowbrick Tracking Map | Africa Record Run |
http://chelmsfordmc.co.uk/files/py/A...SC9907_500.jpg
3 days in, and they have crossed the equator, half-way across Kenya. The road to Ethiopia is the very rough Marsabit road, which will really test the car today. Fiat Panda World Record Attempt | Africa Record Run Tracker map here: Follow the Fiat Panda Yellowbrick Tracking Map | Africa Record Run |
They survived the Road from Hell with time to spare before the border opened.
The Panda Pair pulled into Moyale two hours sooner than the predicted 12 hrs. Philip texted: "Track ten times worse than last year. Car even surprised us, churning through deep sand with many troughs carved up by trucks". We also hear from Marsabit that the word on the street after they left was that they would never make it... They don't know Philip, Paul and the Panda. They are now well into Ethiopia, and making much quicker progress. |
http://chelmsfordmc.co.uk/files/py/A...SC8705_500.jpg
They have had a very long and hard day in Ethiopia yesterday, where the roads were slower than expected and petrol very hard to find. After a long economy run, they reached the Sudanese border on empty. They are now bouncing down the road in Sudan - the rear shock absorbers are clapped out. The next border crossing is across water into Egypt. Turbo, the Egyptian fixer, is waiting at Abu Simbel equipped with a drum of 95 octane fuel. Follow the Fiat Panda Yellowbrick Tracking Map | Africa Record Run |
http://chelmsfordmc.co.uk/files/py/A...SC8925_500.jpg
They have successfully crossed from Wadi Halfa in Sudan to Abu Simbel in Egypt by barge - the first to use what should become the regular border crossing in future. It went so smoothly that they are now 3 hours ahead of schedule. More here: News Reports and Updates | Africa Record Run Follow the Fiat Panda Yellowbrick Tracking Map | Africa Record Run |
That wasn't in the plan - they drove across some glass in Cairo, and collected 4 punctures!
After loosing some time buying new tyres, they are heading quickly toward the tricky Libyan border. Will they be let through? |
After three hours stationary on the Yellowbrick map, they are now on the move inside Libya - the story of the successful border crossing is here:
News Reports and Updates | Africa Record Run Just 1500 kms to Tunisia, and then head for a ferry from Tunis. http://chelmsfordmc.co.uk/files/py/A...SC0024_500.jpg |
It took 18 hours across Libya, and they are now in Tunisia, and currently 300km from the ferry at Tunis. No waiting for dawn at that border.
The story of their trip across Libya is here: News Reports and Updates | Africa Record Run There is a Video Gallery on the web site with a piece about the Marsabit Road, and the Expresso interview: Fiat Panda World Record Attempt | Africa Record Run |
Problems with snow on the A3 in Italy caused them to be diverted to the east coast, and they are now ahead of schedule. The Panda is now in France.
Everyone is invited to Marble Arch – 5.30pm – Monday Feb 11th. Come and cheer Philip Young & Paul Brace when they drive their remarkable Fiat Panda under Marble Arch at the end of their epic 10,000 mile drive. Keep checking the Latest News on the site for ETA updates. Fiat Panda World Record Attempt | Africa Record Run |
At 16:05 they came out of the tunnel, and must be looking good for a 17:30 to 18:00 finish - taking a day off the record.
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