ONE DINGHY, TWO SAILORS, AND A GUINNESS WORLD RECORD

TWO Plymouth dinghy sailors working for the Royal Navy are celebrating after setting a world record for the longest distance sailed in a double-handed dinghy.

Leading Seaman Phil Slade and Ministry of Defence employee Mark Belamarich OBE, staged a gruelling three-night voyage across the English Channel twice, from Plymouth to France, and sailed eastwards along the south coast to finish off in Portsmouth – to break the Guinness World Records.

Mr Belamarich OBE, said: “This is an amazing achievement and was a very difficult challenge, and I’m really proud we broke the Guinness World Records.”

“The dinghy challenge ran the gauntlet of the weather, and especially navigating a small 14ft boat at night across the world’s most busiest sea lanes, in very cramped conditions on board,’ said Mr Slade.

The expedition was verified by Guinness World Records that said: “The world record for the longest distance sailed in a double handed dinghy is 572.73 km (309.25 nautical miles) which was achieved by Phil Slade and Mark Belamarich OBE (both UK) who sailed from Plymouth to Portsmouth via France, between the 14 to 17th June 2016.”

The world record was recently presented to Phil Slade and Mark Belamarich at the Stonehouse Camber Barracks in Plymouth beside the 14ft iconic 1960′s designed dinghy.

Top picture: Mark Belamarich OBE and Phil Slade