6 August 2013 Virgin Atlantic Challenger 11, the boat that broke the Atlantic sea crossing record in 1986 today visited Fowey and Polruan to the delight of Polruan NCI watchkeepers. Logged entering Fowey Harbour by the lookout at 12 noon precisely, Challenger 11 looked as good as new having just undergone a two month restoration at Plymouth.

Sir Richard Branson (pictured) brought the original crew together for the trip from Plymouth to Fowey and paid tribute to Challenger 11’s new owner Dan Stevens and his team for restoring this iconic boat to its former glory.

Following the visit, Challenger 11 was logged out of the harbour by the station at 15.15 hours on her return trip to Plymouth.