Express & Star

Record bid powerboat scrapped after arson

Adventuerers have been forced to scrap building a powerboat in the landlocked Black Country and will start all over again 160 miles away after arsonists targeted the warehouse it was being constructed in.

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Adventurers have been forced to scrap building a powerboat in the landlocked Black Country and will start all over again 160 miles away after arsonists targeted the warehouse it was being constructed in.

Alan Priddy started work on the £1.3 million boat in June at Micklewrights, on the Thornleigh Trading Estate, Dudley, for an ambitious round-the-world attempt this November. But construction was hampered by a fire which broke out at the warehouse earlier this year.

It has now been cancelled after Mr Priddy uncovered significant heat damage to the hull of the boat.

The team have now put the challenge back a year and will start rebuilding the boat – in Portsmouth.

Mr Priddy predicts £220,000 and 3,000 hours of work has been wasted.

He said: "It is a big step back, but at the end of the day, when you consider the fear it would not do the job and the very worst fear that it could kill someone, we were left with no choice but to start again.

"I was not prepared to risk the failure of this massive project and I have taken everything we have learnt and done up until now, and will improve upon it."

The decision is a set-back for the team, which was racing against time to get the boat ready for the challenge, scheduled for November 4. Structure and cabins were finished, decks were being laid and two 500 horsepower engines installed.

Mr Priddy said: "Finding out about the damage was a real kick in the teeth – but the team is incredibly resilient and had already started to re-focus on the task ahead."

The team will now be racing against another team from America for the Company85 Global Challenge next year and try to break the 61 day record.

No-one was available to comment from Micklewrights today.

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