European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 21, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Above Richard Branton i Virgin  it. At of spectators Al Lent week t launch. Tangerine dream launched the vessel in style. Princess Michael of Kent cracked a magnum of Champagne Over the boat s Bow thousands of shipyard workers and townspeople cheered hundreds of press recorded the event and the band of the Royal marines provided the music. I could t be More thrilled with the  Branson said after its launch. We be had a sneak trial and it could t have gone better the boat s got More Speed than the last boat and it provides a slightly different sensation. It is a smoother boat the last one was a catamaran end it cams slamming Down. This one goes through the water with a Corkscrew  said the Goatee British entrepreneur. The Hope is that challenger la s Strong aluminium Hull will withstand the pounding the Atlantic will undoubtedly give it and beat the record of 3 Days 10 hours and 40 minutes set in 1952 by the lunar United states on its Maiden  by twin Turbo diesel engines each producing 2,000 horsepower the 72-Lool-Long Mon Hull is crammed with the latest technological equipment 1o help it on us hazardous course and to link it up with refuelling vessels tha boat can carry approximately 3.boo Gallons of Tuel in her live tanks giving it a Range of 840 Miles. Challenger ii with a top Speed in excess of 50 knots 57,5 Mph will be expected to maintain an average Speed of 45 knots 62 Mph if the boat and Crew Are to break the 34 year old record. Two Woika of exl Nilve sea trials will be conducted in the North sea from Lowestoft. The boat will then zoom around England to Liverpool for shipment by Container ship to new York. We expect to be in new York by mid june and then Well be on hold there Branson said. How much physical punishment is involved in punching the boat at High Speed through often heavy seas it s very unpleasant. You Hurt in your fild Neys and when you have the restraining straps on you hurl in your shoulders. If you Don t have your straps on you get thrown out of your sear. This Lime we have built seats that sort of encompass us so we won t have to have straps to hold us in Luhe Lime. The last trip was.  he did t get any sleep on the last attempt. That s one of the reasons Why we be got less Crew this time. We be Only Gol five crewmen.  it s much better or us All to be doing some Lhing rather than hanging on for dear  the Back of the boat. Said Branson. Besides skipper Branson and navigator Pike the remainder of the Craw will be made up of trans Atlantic rower and Yachtsman Chay Blyth who will 1 be senior crewman and decision maker Sieve Ridgway support Engineer and diver Pelar Dohle chief Engineer and Peter Macann support navigator and diver who will be filming he attempt for later showing on bbl television. Whether the unpredictable Atlantic can be conquered in record Lime depends to a Large part on the weather according to the records the Best Lime to make the attempt is Between mid june and mid july Whan the sea will be calmest. There is also less Chance of encountering icebergs which could easily crush any vessel with one glancing blow. On the other hand the earlier Date will probably mean a greater Chance of fog Oil the grand Banks near Nova Scotia and Newfoundland thereby adding to the possible perils. The team will take the great Circle route which is the quickest Way across. The departure Date will  on the Weaner conditions and the Crew will have to be on stand by in new York ready to leave upon receipt of the first acceptable Long Range weather forecast the 2,949-Nautleal-Rnlle route will take them from new York Harbor to the Star Tang Point at us Ambrose Light and thereafter North to he first refuelling Polyni of f Halifax Nova Scotia. The next Topping up Point will be about 200 Miles East of St. Johns Newfoundland while the final refuel Long Slop will be Ano hive y delicate operation in mid Atlantic from an offshore support vessel. Floyal air Force Nimrod aircraft patrolling the northerly sector of the route Wilt be in touch with the Virgin Atlantic Craft giving it any relevant route advice As Well As keeping an Eye on the record attempt. We Are going to be going on june 15, or As soon after when the weather is right said Pike. He said hat floating debris in the Ocean presents tha undertaking Ullh its greatest Hazard. It s the one Factor in the whole thing thai we can not do anything to counteract. Thai i reckon is the 15 percent risk element in All this. We have catered to the 85 percent that we can quantify and organize and take Steps to Deal Ullh. But thai 15 percent trial s the Luck element. The autopilot steers the Boa. The iwo Guys sitting up at the two helmsman s seals Are really Fust keeping a Lookout for floating debris and monitoring the whole boat. -.". Pike said that during the first two legs they Hope to go vary hard build up a Cushion of time and then we can Lake it gently on the Long Ocean leg. For the first 24 hours Well know exactly what the weather is going to be. If the weather forecast is red hoi then we can go Ilka hell for the first 24 or 36 hours then ease Back for the rest of the trip. If that happens ii will be 8 pleasure  we won t be flying from wave top to wave top in this boat. You can t Fly a 30-ton boat. If you Fly a boat of his size you la soon break it up. You find a Speed thai is compatible with the wave conditions and Settle into a Groove. This one handles like a sports car. I m very pleased with  even if challenger ii crosses the finish line at Bishop Rock Lighthouse just of the Scilly Isles in under Thrata Days 10 hours and 40 minutes Branson might not actually get to bring the Blue Riband Back irom new York to Bella in. While the Blue Riband goes to the vessel making the quickest Atlantic crossing it has in the past always gone to an Ocean liner. The arrival of Jel travel and the subsequent decline of the Ocean finer meant there would be no further challengers at least not until Richard Branson arrived on the scene. 1986 the stars and stripes Page 15