Kiwi sets new world PWC record

Jeremy Burfoot, 51, covered 2287km on a Sea-Doo in 24 hours to set a new world record. Photo / Dan Mickleson

Aucklander Jeremy Burfoot appears to have a thing for spending a lot of time on a PWC (personal watercraft).

The 51-year-old Torbay man has already spent three weeks circumnavigating New Zealand on one and was also the bloke behind last year's ambitious Ultimate Ride challenge (to travel from London to Auckland on a Sea-Doo).

He has now set a new world record and, once again, his trusty Sea-Doo was involved.

Just a couple of weeks ago Burfoot spent a full 24 hours driving his PWC in circles on the Waikato's picturesque Lake Karapiro, southeast of Cambridge.

During that time he covered the respectable distance of 2287km and smashed, by about 650km, the existing record, set in 2009 by Croatian Ivan Otulic.

In order to break the record, Burfoot, a pilot, had to continually navigate his 1500cc Sea-Doo around a satellite-fixed course.

He spent 55min out of every 60 on the PWC, coming in for just 5min every hour to refuel.

It was an arduous ordeal and one that saw Burfoot cover almost half the distance he had travelled in his three-week, 5000km circumnavigation of New Zealand in 2006.

"At the end I was tired but elated," he says. "There wasn't too much physical damage as I have been training for this for years.

"I also wore all the right gear, courtesy of one of my sponsors, Sea-Doo dealer Makz Gear, who also provided outstanding support to our Ultimate Ride team."

Burfoot said the mental concentration was the hardest. "I am still doing laps in my dreams; I hope that stops shortly."

Burfoot credits his physical training with enabling him to break his target distance of 2200km.

"I train hard with weights, core strength exercises, cycling and lots of hours on the skis [short for jetskis, another term for PWCs]," he says.

Burfoot is a long-time and passionate campaigner for healthy living and cancer awareness and again used his latest adventure, the successful record attempt, to promote these causes.

During his 2006 ride around New Zealand, Burfoot raised money for the Cancer Society and there was a similar emphasis at last year's Ultimate Ride challenge.

The Ultimate Ride was Burfoot's idea of travelling, with a mate, from London to Auckland on a pair of PWCs. Unfortunately, things didn't go entirely to plan and a combination of mechanical issues, jetski-loving thieves and bad weather forced the pair to abandon their quest in the Aegean Sea.

Apart from the sheer exhilaration of undertaking such a history-making journey, the intention of the Ultimate Ride was also to promote Burfoot's messages of healthy living and cancer prevention.

The pair also hoped to again raise funds for cancer research.

Burfoot said that when the Ultimate Ride adventure ended early he looked for other means to help promote his "live smart, live long" ideals. "I was especially pleased to have an opportunity to continue promoting the Ultimate Ride message, which is 'early detection of cancer saves lives'."

Burfoot also dedicated his 24-hour record-breaking ride to good friend Maree Brierly, who had just been diagnosed with cancer.

"I found out about Maree only the day before the ride. It just makes me more determined to continue fighting this disease."

Burfoot set his record riding what he describes as a "stock-standard" Sea-Doo GTX Ltd iS.

"The GTX features a 1500cc Rotax 4-TEC engine designed specifically for marine use," he says.

"It has a trademarked S3 hull that is noted for its stable ride.

"It is 20 per cent lighter and therefore more fuel efficient than competing products.

"Ultra-low engine emissions and BRP's patented D-Sea-Bel sound reduction system also combine to ensure the Sea-Doo has the lowest possible environmental impact."

Burfoot's record is still to be ratified by Guinness World Records. While he waits for the confirmation, he is no doubt planning his next adventure.

Without needing a crystal ball, one imagines it will involve him sitting for many more hours on his beloved Sea-Doo while trying to encourage the rest of us to live healthier lives.

Record breaker

What: New world record for the distance covered on a PWC in a 24-hour period

Who: Jeremy Burfoot

Where: Lake Karapiro

When: February 5, 2011

Using: Sea-Doo GTX iS PWC

Waiting for: Ratification by Guinness World Records