Page 20 - Abingdon News
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The race consists of sailing non-stop
around the whole of Britain and Ireland,
a distance of almost 2000 nautical
miles, against professional crews.
The team battled injury, damage and
seriously heavy weather but they still
managed to come second in class and
eighth overall. George, the youngest
crew member on the yacht, and one of
the youngest competitors in the race,
has now been invited to take part in the
2015 Fastnet and the 2015 Sydney to
Hobart Yacht Race, which he will be
fitting around his Ship Science MEng at
the University of Southampton.
Abingdon
Old Abingdonians
Phil Norris, OA 2006, will soon embark on an adventure of
renewable energy, travelling alongside the only aircraft of
perpetual endurance as it attempts the first round the world solar
flight. Within the online marketing team, Phil contributes to the
content that is available on the web and social media channels.
In order to share the Solar Impulse experience, the marketing
team spend time with the aircraft in the hangar and on the airfield
and sit within the Mission Control Centre during flights. The
aircraft, Si2, has just finished its Swiss series of test flights and
once transported to Abu Dhabi it will prepare for launch in March
2015. The circumnavigation will take 25 days of flight, the longest
leg of which will be five days and nights to cross the Pacific.
OAs on land,
at sea and
in the air
Stephen Fabes, OA 1999, is cycling
the length of six of the earth’s
continents – he is on his last
continent and plans to be back some
time in early 2016. It’s been five
years since he waved goodbye to
loved ones from St Thomas’ Hospital
in central London, where he was
working as a doctor, and began
pedalling. So far he has passed
through 54 countries and pedalled
some 70,000 km – a distance
approaching twice around the world.
He is now on the home straight,
cycling across Asia, from the
punishingly cold Mongolian winter
back to the UK, and visiting remote
medical clinics en route.
Solar Impulse
George Jørgensen,
OA 2012, took part
in the 2014 RORC
Round Britain and
Ireland race this
summer on board
the Army’s
racing yacht
British Soldier.
The Abingdon Foundation, Park Road, Abingdon, Oxford OX14 1DE 01235 521563
•
Edited by Jane Warne –
01235 849108
•
Design –
RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race
