TPT July 2011

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6 July 2011 ›
Industry News
AN-TIKI, a raft made of polyethylene pipes
and a pig shelter, and her intrepid crew
of four ‘mature’ adventurers including an
85-year-old grandfather from London, have
defied sceptics by successfully crossing
the Atlantic Ocean. Writer and adventurer
Anthony Smith and his three-man crew –
aged from 56 to 61 years old – arrived at
St Martin in the Caribbean, having safely
sailed 3,000 miles across the second
largest ocean in the world.
During their 66 days at sea the crew
battled bad weather, a broken rudder and
lumbers of freight boats sailing too close for
comfort. They also baked fresh bread every
day, studied plankton with their on-board
microscope and celebrated Mr Smith’s 85th
birthday with a chocolate cake and a tin of
pineapple chunks.
The crew have also raised thousands
of pounds for the international charity
WaterAid, which works with some of the
world’s poorest communities to improve
access to safe water, sanitation and
hygiene education.
Mr Smith, a former BBC Tomorrow’s
World presenter and science correspondent,
who developed the An-Tiki project, said,
“We are looking forward to eating fresh food
and enjoying some of life’s little luxuries
again. But the excitement is tinged with
some sadness as the arrival means saying
goodbye to our trusty partner, the good
raft An-Tiki, who has so steadfastly looked
after us on this journey. We’ll also miss the
incredible sights and sounds of life at sea,
sunrises and sunsets, incredible wildlife,
the camaraderie and that special space and
solitude that ocean goers come to love.”
John Russell, 61, from Gloucestershire,
England, wrote on the An-Tiki blog: “I have
to admit that I did have some concerns
before setting out, but am really glad that
I came on the adventure, and it has been
absolutely mind-blowing and wonderful. I
cannot use enough superlatives, and would
not hesitate to do the same again.”
When they departed from the Canaries
in January, the team hoped to make it to
the Bahamas, but bad weather mid-Ocean
slowed progress and time constraints
meant they had to choose a new location to
complete their adventure.
The team hopes to raise £50,000 for
WaterAid. Rebecca Poyntz, events
fundraising manager, said: “We’re so grateful
to the crew of the An-Tiki for their support,
and for helping spread the message of clean
water and sanitation across the globe. They
have already raised enough for WaterAid to
transform the lives of hundreds of people by
improving access to safe water, sanitation and
hygiene. Anthony and crew are keeping the
spirit of adventure alive and they are a great
inspiration to fundraisers too – old or young.”
WaterAid – UK
Fax: +44 20 7793 4545
Website:
An-Tiki – UK
Website:
AFTER launching a new high performance
machine tool range for value added
processes, the year 2011 has started
successfully for Reika.
The company reports that sales of
cutting machines in the range of RingSaw®
and ‘Compact Models’ have increased
substantially. Annual turnover is expected
to reach €18mn, and group turnover
will approach €100mn. The increase in
machine tool sales is based on the reduced
tool cost in comparison to standard
carbide saws, and therefore low operation
cost. The machines can be equipped
with standard carbide inserts, which are
easy to replace. Automotive suppliers can
integrate automatic measuring stations
for specific applications in the machines.
The latest models can cut round tubes,
profiles and solid materials. The tools
are available in a range for low or high
tensile steel, and stainless steel can also
Crew of adventurers arrive safefy
after crossing the Atlantic on tube raft
Reika reports a successful year
be processed effectively. As stand-alone
solutions, the machines can be integrated
in tube finishing lines as cut-off machines
for end- or partial length cutting. The new
RingSaw models are also available as
flying cut-off for ERW tube welding mills.
Reika GmbH & Co KG – Germany
Fax: +49 2331 96 90 36
Email:
Website:
The boat was made from water tubing
and raised £50,000 for charity