Newquay RNLI welcome world record attempt paddle boarder
Volunteers from Newquay lifeboat station welcomed The Long Paddle 2021 to Newquay on Tuesday (11 May). Brendon Prince is attempting the official world record to be the first person to circumnavigate mainland Britain on a Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP) whilst raising funds for the RNLI.
Motivated by responding at the scene of the Mawgan Porth tragedy near Newquay in 2014 when three people drowned, Brendon, 48, an off-duty lifeguard at the time, is now taking on this world record attempt to circumnavigate mainland Britain and complete the longest ever journey by SUP, to raise money and awareness for water safety, men’s health and the marine environment.
Despite the RNLI crew being unable to launch the charity’s inshore lifeboats to greet Brendon, due to current Covid restrictions around scheduled exercises, he still received a warm welcome into Newquay Bay, escorted by members of Newquay Rowing Club who were out training in one of their gigs and greeted him near Towan Head.
After paddling from Gwithian that day, Brendon was cheered and applauded into the harbour at 6.30pm on Tuesday, and welcomed at the quayside by a few local supporters and members of Newquay RNLI, including one of the lifeboat helms who had been crewing the gig earlier and another of Newquay’s RNLI volunteers, who is a former pupil of Brendon's from his days as a teacher in Devon!
Having started the challenge in Torquay two weeks earlier, father of three, Brendon, was back on the water in Newquay Harbour at 5.30am on Wednesday, en route for Bude and the Cornwall/Devon border beyond. If conditions allow, Brendon hopes to paddle up to 50-miles per day and complete the challenge back in Torquay in early July.
Newquay RNLI’s volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer, Andy Hobkinson said: ‘We were delighted to welcome Brendon into Newquay Harbour on Tuesday evening as part of his epic world record attempt. It was inevitably a scaled down reception due to current regulations, but Newquay did us proud, with supporters cheering and applauding from cliffs and quaysides as he crossed the bay.
Our own RNLI volunteers worked tirelessly at the scene of the Mawgan Porth tragedy six years ago, alongside Brendon and multiple other emergency services, so it’s humbling to see something so positive come out of such a tragic day, and on behalf of everyone at Newquay lifeboat station, we send Brendon our best wishes and safe travels for the rest of his amazing journey around Britain’.
'Why The Long Paddle?' This moving video describes Brendon's motivations for attempting the world record: https://vimeo.com/521908500
Notes to editors
- If you're inspired to get out on a SUP yourself, please stay safe and follow the RNLI's advice: https://rnli.org/safety/choose-your-activity/stand-up-paddle-boarding
- Supporters can get further information from The Long Paddle 2021 website: https://thelongpaddle.co.uk/ follow Brendon's progress around Britain via his live tracker: https://thelongpaddle.co.uk/route/ and donate at: Donate - The Long Paddle
- Attached picture: Brendon is welcomed into Newquay Harbour on Tuesday evening. Credit: Newquay RNLI/Andy Hobkinson.
- Newquay lifeboat station first opened in 1860. Today’s RNLI volunteers operate two inshore lifeboats and are on call 24-hours-a-day to save live lives at sea. You can donate to Newquay RNLI online and support the work of our lifeboat volunteers at: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/newquay-rnli-lifesavers-fund-2021
RNLI media contacts
For more information please contact Andy Hobkinson, Newquay RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer at [email protected] or 07880 507464 or Amy Caldwell, RNLI Regional Media Manager at [email protected] or 07920 818807 or contact the RNLI Press Office (24hrs) on 01202 336789.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
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