GPS Guided Trans-Atlantic Robot Boat
Snoopy was launched 18th March, on the UK south coast, in an attempt to reach the USA. The "Microtransat Challenge" is a French idea. That's a French boat above !

July 2015: This is the original request for help, on 23rd March, before the SPOT tracker stopped, then Snoopy appeared on Brighton Beach.

Message for sailors in English Channel: please contact Robin on +44 7736 353 404 or robin@gpss.co.uk. What time did you see Snoopy ?
Both sails up ? Still sailing ? Heading West, or going in circles ? More use to us if in slack water or when tide flowing west. Don't take risks !
NO RESCUES PLEASE ! Not unless Snoopy within 100 yards of shore, and about to hit it, or no SPOT reports for over 3 hours. Toy boat, sailed by Snoopy, to cross the Atlantic, from UK to USA

March 2015: Toy boat, sailed by Snoopy, making another attempt to cross the Atlantic, from UK to USA !

The following email is being sent out to a few of Robin's Press contacts, in the hope that they may know someone able to take a photo, or maybe video, from a boat or helicopter, soon ...

Good Morning ! You may remember me, Robin Lovelock, and my daft obsession with trying to get Snoopy the Viking to sail a little robot boat across the Atlantic. The first attempt was in 2012, after it was reported in the Sunday Telegraph, and then in newspapers around the World, including the USA and New Zealand. That attempt was covered live on BBC Television (South), and BBC Radio Solent, and was very useful in our making contact with new members of our "Team", such as Dick, who you will see in our pictures and videos of the 2013, 2014, and now 2015 attempts. At the time of writing this, Snoopy is about 5 miles south of Portland Bill. As always, everyone should visit www.gpss.co.uk, then follow the links, for the latest news about Snoopy, including your ability to click on Snoopy's "Spot Map" and see where he is now.

My reason for contacting you, is the hope that someone can use a boat or helicopter, to take a quick look at Snoopy, to check that he did not suffer major damage when he sailed along a busy traffic channel, last Friday afternoon. Even a blurred photo showing that both his sails are up will be valuable. If someone can watch him for a minute or two, at slack water (e.g. about 1315 / 1:15pm today) or when the tide is flowing westward (e.g. after then to about 7pm tonight), then we will also know if his autopilot and rudder are working: Snoopy should be sailing westward all the time. If he is turning circles, that could mean something like his rudder being damaged, or clogged by seaweed !

In return, I will obviously be very happy to provide whatever may be of interest to you, including photographs, video, quotes, or even giving you feedback to any draft material you choose to publish or broadcast. I don't need the publicity, but I'm no stranger to it, including since 1981, in my earlier defence career :-)

If you are interested, please start by taking a quick look at Snoopy's robot boat page, read the "latest news", then email me back. My full contact details, including 'phone and address are on my web site.

Best Wishes.
Robin Lovelock
www.gpss.co.uk
23rd March 2015

Launch on 18th March 2015