Thursday 16 October 08 - 04:49
 

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Children in Need Appeal Gets Stuck on the Thames

Four replica historic warships, built only from basic materials and bonded together with Sikaflex elastic adhesive, take part in a sponsored trip down London's River Thames this month in aid of Children in Need.
The historic warships, held together by elastic adhesive, take to the water at the Southampton Boat Show.
The historic warships, held together by elastic adhesive, take to the water at the Southampton Boat Show.

Each year Sika Ltd holds a competition to build fun boats on their stand at the Southampton Boat Show. This year a more ambitious contest was introduced, The Sika Historic War Ships Challenge, where four teams were set the task of building look-alikes of the classic historic vessels Endeavour, Mary Rose, Victory and Warrior using only basic materials such as marine ply and timber scantlings bonded together with only Sikaflex products and without permanent mechanical fixings.

The four vessels are to navigate a seven mile course on a stretch of the Thames that passes through Windsor, with a mock battle between the Mary Rose and Endeavour taking place under Windsor Bridge, complete with 'firing cannons' and a watery end for one of the teams.

Sika is hoping to top the £3,000 raised in last year's challenge when Dragon Boats built at the 2001 Boat Show completed a sponsored paddle at Cowes.

MJ Information No: 17626

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The historic warships, held together by elastic adhesive, take to the water at the Southampton Boat Show.

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