Teenager sets new Round Britain Record in an electric boat

Teenager Harry Besley has completed his attempt to become the first person to circumnavigate Britain in an electric boat

Eighteen year-old Harry Besley has become the first person to go Round Britain in an electric powered motor boat. He completed the epic 1,700nm voyage yesterday, Wednesday 14 August returning to his home port of Lyme Regis, Dorset at around midday.

The route took him clockwise round Britain via Lands End, Wales, the Isle of Man, the Caledonian Canal through Scotland and back down the East Coast of England, returning to Lyme Regis on 14 August, a month and a day after he set off.

The boat he used for the adventure was a specially modified 21ft (6.5m) Ukrainian-built Galaxy RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) with an aluminium hull. Named Electra it is powered by a 90kW (120hp) Evoy electric outboard that can deliver a top speed of 35 knots but only in short bursts in order to maximise the range of its 126kWh Kreisel lithium-ion battery bank.

Harry returning to Lyme Regis at the end of his record-breaking journey

As a result Harry had to keep his average speed down to around 10 knots. Most of the legs were either taken slowly at just five knots or at 20-25 knots when battery levels allowed. The original plan allowed for 44 recharging stops but they ended up making 48 in total.

Harry was accompanied by various friends enroute to act as co-pilots and moral support – namely Henry Cietak, Paul Derham, Charley Lunt and Hannah Byrne. A shore support team also followed them around the country in electric vehicles, helping with recharging duties for the boat and crew – Harry and his co-pilots grabbing a few hours sleep in the vehicles while the batteries were replenished.

Surprisingly everything ran remarkably smoothly. The boat’s batteries were mostly trickle charged from shorepower outlets in marinas and harbours. However, sometimes the boat was recovered onto a trailer and taken to faster 44kW DC car charging points on land for a rapid three hour boost. Although a petrol generator was on standby for emergencies, they only resorted to using it once.

“The toughest bits of the trip were the long legs,” says Besley. “Especially up on the north-east coast where the longest was around 55nm, which we did had to do at just five knots.

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“And, as for weather, we had to contend with just about everything over the course of the month – sun, rain, strong winds and even fog.”

Amazingly nothing really broke or needed replacing either, he says.

“The only thing that did need attention was an internet router and cable that suffered from corrosion, which temporarily upset the LiveTracker signal”.

The purpose of this not-for-profit circumnavigation was to highlight the marine industry’s transition to zero-emissions propulsion. On that score, the challenge was a resounding success, not only for Harry, but for the fledgling electric boat industry.

Various collections were made at Harry’s stopovers for marine related charities and now that the voyage is over the team’s gear will be auctioned off for similar good causes. The family will also be selling Electra now that the challenge has been completed should any MBY readers want to pick up an electric RIB with proven history.

As for what comes next for the teenager, who earlier this summer finished his A-levels at Wellington School in Somerset, a gap year is most likely, he says, probably one that will involve a spell or two crewing superyachts.

For more, check out roundbritain-erib.org.

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