Thursday, February 11, 2010 Longest Distance Covered By Amphibious Craft
- Sealegs sets world record Langkawi Yacht Club, Malaysia -- A specially
built military class 7.1 meter Seaglegs (NZX:SLG) amphibious
RIB has completed a 1620 kilometer "circumnavigation" of the
Malaysian Peninsula in 31 hours and 57 minutes , setting the world record for the Longest
Distance Covered By Amphibious Craft.
The boat completed its journey carrying
up to ten Malaysian special forces commandos who are trialling
the Sealegs to assess the capability and functionality of
Sealegs amphibious craft for military purposes. The circumnavigation had the support
of Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the Defense Minister
of Malaysia, who approved his elite military force, including
Commandos, to trial the boat throughout the circumnavigation
with the objective of getting a product report on its completion.
The trip ("Commando
Le'Tour 1Malaysia Sealegs 2009) was undertaken in
a specially built military class 7.1 metre Sealegs amphibious
RIB that was equipped and customised to suit the specifications
of the Malaysian defense force.
Sealegs International Ltd Chief Executive
David McKee Wright, was part of the team that completed the
historic journey which began from Pengkalan in North Eastern
Malaysia and finished at the Langkawi Yacht Club, on the North
West Coast.
He said “I am very proud of the boat’s
performance, particularly in light of the fact the vessel
encountered large seas and was carrying up to ten soldiers
at a time”. He added that he was looking forward to a positive
report. Wright said it took his company
five years to create the RM360,000 boat, which is 7.1m in
length and can seat eight people, adding that Malaysia was
the first country which was introduced to the vessel.
Malaysia will be the first nation in
the world to own the “Amphibious Sealegs” – a high-tech boat
functional both in water and on land – if the purchase receives
the green light from the Government.
The Malaysian Defense Minister Datuk
Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said he was equally impressed
with the boat.
He said the Defense Ministry would assess
the boat’s performance and make its recommendation to him.
“I’ll then need to talk to the Finance Ministry about procurement”.
He said its manufacturer wanted Malaysia to be the first country
to own the boat and to be the centre for its worldwide sales.
Speaking to reporters after witnessing
a mock sea rescue operation at the Putrajaya Maritime centre,
Ahmad Zahid said the “Amphibious Sealegs” would also be useful
to other agencies, especially to carry out rescue and relief
operations during floods.Related world records: Fastest
Amphibious Channel Crossing-world record set by LMT Maritime
