New single day distance record set on Sea-Doo

Dale Vranckx rides 786 miles in one day on RXT is 255

In an effort to raise awareness and money for Your Life Counts, a youth suicide prevention organization, Dale Vranckx set a new world record by riding a Sea-Doo RXT iS 255 personal watercraft 786 miles in 16 hours 10 minutes.  His average speed for the run was an amazing 56.7 mph.

Starting at 5:15 am on June 19, the St. Williams, Ont. native began riding his first eight-mile lap in Long Point Bay, from Booth’s Harbour Marina to Port Rowan Marina. Vranckx finally finished at 9:25 pm of the same day after completing 98 laps and 786 miles.

“Your Life Counts is a great cause and this challenge was a great opportunity to raise awareness of their work and help save young lives,” says Vranckx. As of today, he has raised over $2,000 for Your Life Counts.  Donations can still be made at YourLifeCounts.org.

“I have not met anyone else who embodies the sheer grit of determination and perseverance to make it through no matter what.  Dale is a great example for our youth showing that focusing on moving forward and working through difficulties one can accomplish great things in life.” says Rory Butler, Your Life Counts founder and CEO.

Conditions for the attempt were extremely challenging and included fog, rain and wind up to 20 mph resulting in two-foot chop.  Nicknamed the “Iron Man,” Vranckx chose the RXT iS model for its combination of power, fuel economy and next generation features, including intelligent suspension and cruise control.

“The iCONTROL system is ideal for this type of effort and the full suspension system certainly made some of those miles feel shorter,” says Vranckx. “The RXT iS 255 kept the ride smooth, keeping me from getting too fatigued by the waves.  The performance of the S3 hull and great power from the Rotax 4-Tec engine enabled me to keep my pace.  And its awesome fuel economy meant I spent less time refueling and more time chasing the record.”

Vranckx shattered the previous official world record of 642 miles, set on a Sea-Doo GTI 130 in 2008 by Mike Pagliccia in Florida. Vranckx had previously set an unofficial world record in 2007 by riding a Sea-Doo watercraft 751 miles in 24 hours on Lake Erie. The record for the longest continuous ride is 11,525 miles set by John Moffett aboard a Sea-Doo GTX in 2007. Alvaro de Marichalar crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 2003 travelling 6,743 miles, with a six person support team, aboard a Sea-Doo XP DI, arguably the greatest personal watercraft adventure record of all time.

Images of this amazing feat can be viewed at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8008825015 in the photo section.

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