Plan 'G' rolls along flawlessly... and new video.
Sat, 6 Oct 12 15:25
Well I just got news that the foil arrived safely in Cape Town and it is now flying down the road either in or on the roof of Gary's Hilux. Ben should also be either in or on the roof of Gary's Hilux. They have a 1000 mile road trip ahead of them to Walvis Bay.
I sent a text to Ben to remind him of Gary's roof-to signalling sequence. 1 tap for water, 2 for beer, 3 for biltong and 4 for more sunscreen. He didn't reply so I can only assume Gary was short of ratchet straps and Bens hands are busy. I hope the foil appreciates the air conditioning. That's the sort of commitment we have come to expect from Ben... and that's why we have thrown in the sightseeing tour for free!
So the foil should be here later tomorrow as planned. I think I owe a few people more than a few beers here.
Firstly, now that their part is done, kudos to Virgin Atlantic for taking all the drama out of this. We tried all the other airlines and it was just easier for them to say 'no' than try. The foil was 18mm too long for British Airways and the funny thing about South African Airways is that whilst they refused to accept the foil at Heathrow, they ended up taking it as they were running the second part of the flight from Jo'burg anyway! Typical case of getting past the first line of 'jobsworths' first. Virgin were receptive from the start and followed through.
So here's a little video we put together as a teaser to what is set to come. There's a few shots/angles you probably haven't seen so enjoy. Let's hope that once the new foil is delivered... it delivers.
Cheers, Paul
Love the video
Submitted by Mainiac on Sun, 10/07/2012 - 21:25.Thanks for the update. Exciting times. I hope the new foil goes in smoothly and you're out on the water soon. Best wishes.
Airlines
Submitted by Russell Moore on Sat, 10/06/2012 - 23:01.We once flew from OZ to NZ with a tandem bicycle with United, and we had no problems! At other times I had problems with a normal bike..go figure, it really depends on the people at the check in, and the mood their in.
Good luck with the rest of the plan.
That's a relief
Submitted by Tim on Sat, 10/06/2012 - 20:58.Glad to hear that the sweat over the details has panned out. Must be a great relief to the the team. Best of luck as you ramp up the prep.
Love the video...what a long strange journey it's been.
Tim
Roof-top tradition
Submitted by delano on Sat, 10/06/2012 - 16:37.The 1000-mile, African drive to deliver the foil reminds me of the 1000-mile trip Barney Smith and I made 30-odd years ago to deliver the Monomaran to Ned Snead in Texas. We carried the frame on top of a VW Rabbit!
Helen's new video is a heart-rate accelerator! Your success inevitable!