In an effort to raise awareness and money for Your Life Counts, a youth suicide prevention organization, extreme rider Dale Vranckx set a new world record by riding a Sea-Doo RXT iS 255 personal watercraft 786 miles (1,265 km) in 16 hours 10 minutes. His average speed for the run was an incredible 56.7 mph (91.2 km/hr). This ride eclipsed the current record of 642 miles in 24 hours set on a Sea-Doo GTI™ 130 in 2007 by Mike Pagliccia.
Starting at 5:15 a.m. on June 19, 2009, the St. Williams, Ontario native began riding his first eight-mile lap in Long Point Bay, from Booth’s Harbour Marina to Port Rowan Marina. 786 miles later Vranckx finally finished at 9:25 PM of the same day after completing an astonishing 98 laps.
Conditions for the attempt were extremely challenging and included fog, rain and wind up to 20 mph (32 km/h) resulting in two-foot chop. Nicknamed the “Iron Man,” Vranckx chose the RXT iS model for its combination of power, fuel economy and next generation features, including intelligent suspension and cruise control.
The 2009 RXT iS that Vernx rode was equipped with iControl, and it featured a slew of firsts for personal watercraft: Intelligent Brake and Reverse (iBR), the first on-water braking system; Intelligent Suspension (iS), the first full on-water suspension system; the S3 Hull, the first stepped hull design; and Intelligent Throttle Control (iTC), featuring the first true neutral, dock mode and cruise control. These iControl features, with which both of the new Sea-Doo RXT iS 255 and GTX Limited iS 255 models are equipped, increase reliability, control and smoothness of the ride, allowing Vernx to break the record and in the most comfortable way possible.
“The iControl system is ideal for this type of effort and the full suspension (iS - intelligent suspension) system certainly made some of those miles feel shorter,” he said. “The RXT iS 255 kept the ride smooth, keeping me from getting too fatigued by the waves. The performance of the S3 hull and great power from the Rotax 4-Tec engine enabled me to keep my pace. And its awesome fuel economy meant I spent less time refueling and more time chasing the record.”
“Your Life Counts is a great cause and this challenge was a great opportunity to raise awareness of their work and help save young lives,” Vranckx said. As of today, he has raised over $2,000.00 for Your Life Counts. Donations can still be made at www. yourlifecounts.org.