Scottish Parliament Sends Best Wishes to the Team

That the Parliament sends its best wishes to the skipper, Phil Sharp, and his crew of adventurers, Sean Conway and Alex Alley, in their attempt to set a record time for sailing between Lands’ End and John O’Groats; notes that the route will take in the west coast of the British isles and that around 70% of the attempt will be in Scottish waters; considers that this challenge is the perfect warm-up for the 2016 Vendée Globe race; understands that Phil has stated that both the Pentland Firth and the waters of the north-west Atlantic off the west coast will provide excellent training as they are similar to the Southern Ocean, where the globe race will be held; believes that the attempt will show off the wilder elements of Scotland’s environment and help raise awareness of what the country has to offer, even in the dead of winter; further believes that it will showcase the potential that Scotland’s tides, winds and waves offer in terms of low-carbon energy potential; hopes that it will lead to more record attempts and spin-off races between Lands’ End and John O’Groats, and recognises the support that the attempt has received from many sources, including the Foresight group, Bruichladdich distillery, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Sail Scotland and the Royal Channel Yacht Club in Jersey.