You are here: Home > Media centre > Press releases > World Record attempt for Farm Africa

World Record attempt for Farm Africa

30 January 2013

30 January 2013

British duo set for 10 day world record drive from Cape Town to London

A dare-devil British driving duo has arrived in Cape Town in advance of attempting to break a world record by driving to London in just ten days. If they make it they will not only have smashed a world record; they will also have raised thousands of pounds for the British charity Farm Africa which is tackling hunger in eastern Africa.

13 countries, the Sahara desert and the Mediterranean in 10 days.... in a Fiat Panda

Philip Young and Paul Brace will ease back the throttle of their Fiat Panda on the morning of Friday 11 February and see Table Mountain recede in their rear view mirror as they set out on a drive which they hope will end in triumph at London’s Marble Arch on Monday 11 February.

And to make things even more challenging, they will be negotiating some of the toughest driving conditions anywhere in the world in a Fiat Panda.

The journey will take them through South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia before they cross the Mediterranean for the final run up through Italy and France to London. To have any chance of success they will have to negotiate their way in a ferry across the Zambezi river, endure challenging driving conditions on the roads of northern Kenya and then get across the Sahara to Tunisia in time to make a vital ferry sailing to Italy.

This will mean driving an average of 1,000 miles a day with each driver snatching some sleep on nothing more than a bed roll in the back of the car while the other drives, all the time respecting the national speed limits.

World Record

The world record for any type of car, including those specially designed for rallying, is an incredible 11.5 days,snatched two years ago by a three man crew which completed the drive in a specialist Land Rover Discovery. And the record for a non-specialist rallying car – set 30 years ago by another Briton, Brigadier John Hemsley in a Range Rover – is 14 days.

Former world record holder Haile Gebreselassie to greet the pair in Ethiopia

The pair are aiming to make a rendez-vous with the iconic African world-record runner and Olympian, Haile Gebreselassie, as they cross the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. The former 10,000 metre world record holder, who is an Ambassador for Farm Africa, will thank the pair for their astonishing fundraising effort and wish them well on their own bid for world record glory.

Extraordinary fundraising effort so far for British charity Farm Africa

Even before they cross the start line the pair has already raised a healthy sum of more than £7,000. The money will be used by Farm Africa to support African farmers with the skills and tools they need to grow more food not just this harvest but for many years to come, ensuring that African agriculture becomes the solution to feeding Africa’s people.

Farm Africa’s Chief Executive Nigel Harris has welcomed the pair’s incredibly generous commitment:

“Here at Farm Africa we are used to fundraisers going to extraordinary lengths like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for our life-changing work. But it still took a while for the enormity of

this particular challenge to sink in. We are thrilled and truly grateful to Philip and Paul for their incredible generosity in choosing Farm Africa to benefit from their astonishing quest to break the

Cape Town to London record. And we will be on tenterhooks, willing them on as we watch them swallow up the miles in hopefully record time. The very best of luck to both of them.”

You can help motivate the drivers and push them on to the record by making a donation via their online fundraising page: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/africarecordrun2013%20

Ends

Notes to Editor:

More information on the record attempt and how to follow Philip and Paul’s progress, as well as the history of Cape Town to London rallying, is available here: http://www.africarecordrun.com/index.html

Photographs of the car and the drivers are available on request.

For more information, and to arrange interviews with the drivers, including at the Marble Arch finish:

Farm Africa press office:

Victoria Rae, 020 7067 1252 / victoriar@farmafrica.org

Matt Whitticase, 020 7067 1237 / mattheww@farmafrica.org

Kate Macdonald, 020 7067 1256 / katem@farmafrica.org

web: www.africarecordrun.com email: Mail@endurorally.com tel: 01235 831221.

About Farm Africa

Farm Africa is a charity working with families in rural Africa, helping them to produce food more effectively. By providing training and support to help farmers improve the way they manage their crops, livestock, forests and access to water, we help families build a future free from hunger. For more information about Farm Africa please visit www.farmafrica.org

Stay up to date with the latest news and projects