Virgin Atlantic Challenger.
Discussion
I see from the local rag, some one has finally bought her, (Challenger II)and she will soon be on her way back to Blighty 
She's been sitting down here in a Palma boatyard for years, and I always felt a bit sad whenever I saw her sitting there abandoned.
I think the new owner is a bit optomistic with his £200,000 estimate to re-build her. Still I don't suppose there's much inside.
It seems they will be driving her back. The engines haven't been run for 7 years.... mmmm...
I wish all those involved the best of luck restoring what I think is a British icon. Hopefully the German MTU engineer Eki will be on board, as he was on the original crossing.
She's been sitting down here in a Palma boatyard for years, and I always felt a bit sad whenever I saw her sitting there abandoned.
I think the new owner is a bit optomistic with his £200,000 estimate to re-build her. Still I don't suppose there's much inside.
It seems they will be driving her back. The engines haven't been run for 7 years.... mmmm...
I wish all those involved the best of luck restoring what I think is a British icon. Hopefully the German MTU engineer Eki will be on board, as he was on the original crossing.
She is breathing but I think they may have pissed off the bloke doing his antifouling next to them. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xVKODv14sM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7qqt9YvACY
https://www.facebook.com/virginatlantic.challenger
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xVKODv14sM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7qqt9YvACY
https://www.facebook.com/virginatlantic.challenger
Well I think she was great! She stood her ground, and you didn't mess with Maggie. She was all for Britain, and she wasn't for sale.
I feel if she was in power now, there wouldn't be the benefit culture there is now in U.K. and the Country definately wouldn't be full of immigrants on benefits.
Bunch of soft cocks in now if you ask me.
I said I didn't want to go there!
I feel if she was in power now, there wouldn't be the benefit culture there is now in U.K. and the Country definately wouldn't be full of immigrants on benefits.
Bunch of soft cocks in now if you ask me.
I said I didn't want to go there!
Dan Stevens is a good friend of mine. A complete petrol head and an extremely capable engineer. A fully qualified maritime navigator too he's quite a clever git!
He helped me rebuild the head on an RS Turbo I had when I was 19, and he's some fingers in the oily bits of some quite tasty cars, at one point he went for the 0-100-0 speed record in a Cosworth Westfield he built, after he tore the engine from citrine yellow four door he wrote off.
I've not spoken to him for a while as I life in Leeds now, but I'm following this project extremely closely and may be able to get some inside info - can't wait to see it come together ;-)
He helped me rebuild the head on an RS Turbo I had when I was 19, and he's some fingers in the oily bits of some quite tasty cars, at one point he went for the 0-100-0 speed record in a Cosworth Westfield he built, after he tore the engine from citrine yellow four door he wrote off.
I've not spoken to him for a while as I life in Leeds now, but I'm following this project extremely closely and may be able to get some inside info - can't wait to see it come together ;-)
I posted a link asking about VAC2 a couple of years ago as I was considering taking the plunge...
I am thrilled that she is being brought back to life as when I started enquiries, I was told there was a chance she might be scrapped.
There are some great updates coming off the facebook page. I believe she is having a repaint in the original livery this week before coming home to UK.
Doff my cap to the new owner
I am thrilled that she is being brought back to life as when I started enquiries, I was told there was a chance she might be scrapped.
There are some great updates coming off the facebook page. I believe she is having a repaint in the original livery this week before coming home to UK.
Doff my cap to the new owner
Yeah, positive encouragement would have been a disaster
The broker seemed to imply the price was firm, no rush to sell yadda yadda, but at the same time, I know what storage in Malloca costs - I have a (small) boat there!
Given what happened to my business during the Arab spring, I am pleased I don't currently have a 50kt, 72foot powerboat on my books, but I was thinking of revisiting the idea next year as things have picked up again.
Kind of gutted I have missed out, but thrilled she will live again. The owner is being quite coy about his intentions for her (as is his right), but can't wait to see what he has in store. London - Monte Carlo race would have been my first post-refit entry. Should cream the opposition in that. Then I was going to keep her in the Med, based in Mallorca.
Oh well, dream on
The broker seemed to imply the price was firm, no rush to sell yadda yadda, but at the same time, I know what storage in Malloca costs - I have a (small) boat there!
Given what happened to my business during the Arab spring, I am pleased I don't currently have a 50kt, 72foot powerboat on my books, but I was thinking of revisiting the idea next year as things have picked up again.
Kind of gutted I have missed out, but thrilled she will live again. The owner is being quite coy about his intentions for her (as is his right), but can't wait to see what he has in store. London - Monte Carlo race would have been my first post-refit entry. Should cream the opposition in that. Then I was going to keep her in the Med, based in Mallorca.
Oh well, dream on
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