Land's End to Ness Point, midsummers evening 2017
Discussion
What a blast!
Fantastic to beat the Sun. Great to meet some good people.
Turn up - meet people you have never met before - do the run, shake hands, then disperse.
I couldn't have done it without my 'navigator' and partner - she kept me on route and kept me going.
Much respect to Helen, who was single crewed, and 'mad' Dave on the bike with only an auxiliary fuel tank for company.
The navigation in the Jag showed an ETA of 5:05 when we left the M25. We spent the last quarter of the journey chasing that time down.. Got it under 5:00 and were almost resigned to being 30 minutes late... finally got it down to 4:20... and much of that last 10 minutes in hand was used up in Lowestoft itself.
The run in to Lowestoft was fantastic - we passed Dave and we lead the way for a while. Dave then took over and effectively gave us a motorcycle escort on the run in.
We did underestimate the last leg after hitting Lowestoft - much time used waiting for traffic lights. Also got 'stuck' behind a Police car which made the last mile or two interesting.
I have a full log of GPS data (for an project we are developing)... if anyone needs any waypoints and times for next year, let me know.
I have front and rear video too... I haven't sat back and watched the entire 7 hours yet though!
I have since watched Clarkson's effort again. Didn't really do the drive justice. It really is much harder than it looks.
Fantastic to beat the Sun. Great to meet some good people.
Turn up - meet people you have never met before - do the run, shake hands, then disperse.
I couldn't have done it without my 'navigator' and partner - she kept me on route and kept me going.
Much respect to Helen, who was single crewed, and 'mad' Dave on the bike with only an auxiliary fuel tank for company.
The navigation in the Jag showed an ETA of 5:05 when we left the M25. We spent the last quarter of the journey chasing that time down.. Got it under 5:00 and were almost resigned to being 30 minutes late... finally got it down to 4:20... and much of that last 10 minutes in hand was used up in Lowestoft itself.
The run in to Lowestoft was fantastic - we passed Dave and we lead the way for a while. Dave then took over and effectively gave us a motorcycle escort on the run in.
We did underestimate the last leg after hitting Lowestoft - much time used waiting for traffic lights. Also got 'stuck' behind a Police car which made the last mile or two interesting.
I have a full log of GPS data (for an project we are developing)... if anyone needs any waypoints and times for next year, let me know.
I have front and rear video too... I haven't sat back and watched the entire 7 hours yet though!
I have since watched Clarkson's effort again. Didn't really do the drive justice. It really is much harder than it looks.
No ideas for a name said:
What a blast!
Fantastic to beat the Sun. Great to meet some good people.
Turn up - meet people you have never met before - do the run, shake hands, then disperse.
I couldn't have done it without my 'navigator' and partner - she kept me on route and kept me going.
Much respect to Helen, who was single crewed, and 'mad' Dave on the bike with only an auxiliary fuel tank for company.
The navigation in the Jag showed an ETA of 5:05 when we left the M25. We spent the last quarter of the journey chasing that time down.. Got it under 5:00 and were almost resigned to being 30 minutes late... finally got it down to 4:20... and much of that last 10 minutes in hand was used up in Lowestoft itself.
The run in to Lowestoft was fantastic - we passed Dave and we lead the way for a while. Dave then took over and effectively gave us a motorcycle escort on the run in.
We did underestimate the last leg after hitting Lowestoft - much time used waiting for traffic lights. Also got 'stuck' behind a Police car which made the last mile or two interesting.
I have a full log of GPS data (for an project we are developing)... if anyone needs any waypoints and times for next year, let me know.
I have front and rear video too... I haven't sat back and watched the entire 7 hours yet though!
I have since watched Clarkson's effort again. Didn't really do the drive justice. It really is much harder than it looks.
Would be interesting to know who was first at NP, as I know I was last to arrive. ETA on leaving LE was 530. Both phone and sat nav told me junc 28 on the M25 was closed as was part of the A12 so I came off at junc 27 up the M11 to junc 8 which cost me about 5 mins I reckon. Fantastic to beat the Sun. Great to meet some good people.
Turn up - meet people you have never met before - do the run, shake hands, then disperse.
I couldn't have done it without my 'navigator' and partner - she kept me on route and kept me going.
Much respect to Helen, who was single crewed, and 'mad' Dave on the bike with only an auxiliary fuel tank for company.
The navigation in the Jag showed an ETA of 5:05 when we left the M25. We spent the last quarter of the journey chasing that time down.. Got it under 5:00 and were almost resigned to being 30 minutes late... finally got it down to 4:20... and much of that last 10 minutes in hand was used up in Lowestoft itself.
The run in to Lowestoft was fantastic - we passed Dave and we lead the way for a while. Dave then took over and effectively gave us a motorcycle escort on the run in.
We did underestimate the last leg after hitting Lowestoft - much time used waiting for traffic lights. Also got 'stuck' behind a Police car which made the last mile or two interesting.
I have a full log of GPS data (for an project we are developing)... if anyone needs any waypoints and times for next year, let me know.
I have front and rear video too... I haven't sat back and watched the entire 7 hours yet though!
I have since watched Clarkson's effort again. Didn't really do the drive justice. It really is much harder than it looks.
I too got stuck on red traffic lights in Lowestoft not a single car in sight argh!!
I love riding motorbikes but there's no way in hell I'd do THAT ride non stop on a bike! Crazy man
We were the first to arrive, in the Saab. I was both shocked and pleased to pull round the corner and see no-one there. Last year we arrived at pretty much the exact same time to find 2 cars already there!
Arrived at 03:42 after a comfortable and uneventful run. A minute or two after we got there the Volvo arrived (I don't think the guy driving is on here) who had a hideous fight with a sat-nav taking him the wrong way and was then stopped by an unmarked car on the M5 trying to gain time.
Not sure whether it's a good thing or a bad thing to have very little to report...
I half expected the mad man in the Focus to be on it's roof before Penzance, but he rocked up incident free about 04:00.
I was aiming for an hour before sunrise, and arrive at 03:30, but lots of hold ups with traffic all the way from LE to Penzance blew that almost straight away. Those temporary lights didn't help, lost about 5 or 6 mins with them.
The A30 and A303 are wonderful at night. Fast flowing, deserted and "making progress" using both lanes to take a racing line through the bends. One memorable moment was when I was in the zone and pressing on for mile after mile. On a straight I look down at the dials to see the needle tipping 140mph..... oopps. Very easy to get carried away when it's empty!
A wonderful evening none the less, but I need to think of a way to make it more challenging. I've never seen anyone arrive after the sunrise, I wonder what the slowest car ever to complete this challenge is.....?
Arrived at 03:42 after a comfortable and uneventful run. A minute or two after we got there the Volvo arrived (I don't think the guy driving is on here) who had a hideous fight with a sat-nav taking him the wrong way and was then stopped by an unmarked car on the M5 trying to gain time.
Not sure whether it's a good thing or a bad thing to have very little to report...
I half expected the mad man in the Focus to be on it's roof before Penzance, but he rocked up incident free about 04:00.
I was aiming for an hour before sunrise, and arrive at 03:30, but lots of hold ups with traffic all the way from LE to Penzance blew that almost straight away. Those temporary lights didn't help, lost about 5 or 6 mins with them.
The A30 and A303 are wonderful at night. Fast flowing, deserted and "making progress" using both lanes to take a racing line through the bends. One memorable moment was when I was in the zone and pressing on for mile after mile. On a straight I look down at the dials to see the needle tipping 140mph..... oopps. Very easy to get carried away when it's empty!
A wonderful evening none the less, but I need to think of a way to make it more challenging. I've never seen anyone arrive after the sunrise, I wonder what the slowest car ever to complete this challenge is.....?
Edited by Kiribati268 on Monday 25th June 22:41
Kiribati268 said:
A wonderful evening none the less, but I need to think of a way to make it more challenging. I've never seen anyone arrive after the sunrise, I wonder what the slowest car ever to complete this challenge is.....?
Perhaps there ought to be a special informal sub-category for slow/classic/impractical vehicles, although after looking at his video I think the chap on the motorbike would've walked it?I'm thinking of doing this next year, possibly in the Chimaera .... although I've wanted a Morgan 3-Wheeler for some time now ;-)
WillS.
Kiribati268 said:
I half expected the mad man in the Focus to be on it's roof before Penzance, but he rocked up incident free about 04:00.
I was aiming for an hour before sunrise, and arrive at 03:30, but lots of hold ups with traffic all the way from LE to Penzance blew that almost straight away. Those temporary lights didn't help, lost about 5 or 6 mins with them.
The A30 and A303 are wonderful at night. Fast flowing, deserted and "making progress" using both lanes to take a racing line through the bends. One memorable moment was when I was in the zone and pressing on for mile after mile. On a straight I look down at the dials to see the needle tipping 140mph..... oopps. Very easy to get carried away when it's empty!
A wonderful evening none the less, but I need to think of a way to make it more challenging. I've never seen anyone arrive after the sunrise, I wonder what the slowest car ever to complete this challenge is.....?
The guy in the Focus was on something, that's for sure, we followed him onto NP,I was aiming for an hour before sunrise, and arrive at 03:30, but lots of hold ups with traffic all the way from LE to Penzance blew that almost straight away. Those temporary lights didn't help, lost about 5 or 6 mins with them.
The A30 and A303 are wonderful at night. Fast flowing, deserted and "making progress" using both lanes to take a racing line through the bends. One memorable moment was when I was in the zone and pressing on for mile after mile. On a straight I look down at the dials to see the needle tipping 140mph..... oopps. Very easy to get carried away when it's empty!
A wonderful evening none the less, but I need to think of a way to make it more challenging. I've never seen anyone arrive after the sunrise, I wonder what the slowest car ever to complete this challenge is.....?
Edited by Kiribati268 on Monday 25th June 22:41
He overtook us on the A30 and again, in Lowestoft, then started shouting incoherently from the drivers window whilst at the traffic lights.
140mph!, you were bl00dy lucky not to feel the hand of the rozzers.
The luck of youth I suppose, well done on getting in first.
John
No ideas for a name said:
heebeegeetee said:
Maybe we need a 2019 thread? 
Unfortunately, I am out for this year.As you say, maybe starting a 2019 thread may be the best plan.
I will be watching to see how it goes.
Best of luck.
PS. I am sure you will pick up a few non-PH people on the day.
New thread started.pingu393 said:
Link?
I've done a bit of searching, but no joy.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...I've done a bit of searching, but no joy.
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