John Macklin (right) chairman of Sunseeker, congratulates Sanderson (middle) and Dredge in Poole at the end of their record-breaking run. (Photos courtesy Barry Pickthall/PPL)

John Macklin (right) chairman of Sunseeker, congratulates Sanderson (middle) and Dredge in Poole at the end of their record-breaking run. (Photos courtesy Barry Pickthall/PPL)



POOLE, England — Ian Sanderson from Lymington and Peter Dredge from Warsash, Southampton have their names in the record books once again. Starting August 24 and finishing August 25, they piloted their 38-foot-long Sunseeker XS2000 powerboat to a new 'round Britain record of 39 hours and 50 minutes. In completing the 1,440-nautical-mile journey, they knocked 3 hours and 4 minutes off the previous record.

For their efforts, Sanderson and Dredge were awarded the KSI
Perpetual Trophy and the Drambuie Norman Mackinnon Trophy.

After a problem-free start Thursday morning, the team encountered fuel-system problems that put them six hours behind their projected goal. To make up time through the night, Dredge, re-routed their course outside Islay, Tiree and Skye.

The team ran into heavy seas for five hours off Scotland until reaching a surprisingly calm North Sea that enabled them to run more than 70 mph to their second refueling stop. (The boat is powered by two Yanmar diesel engines.)

After the final fuel stop at Royal Norfolk & Suffolk Yacht
Club, Sanderson and Dredge were confident they'd break the record and pushed hard before arriving in Poole. There, at the end of their run, they received a welcoming reception at the Sunseeker shipyard on Poole

The next goals for the team are the Honda Cowes Classic Cowes Torquay-Cowes race September 1 and an attempt to break the London-to-Monte Carlo record later that month.