Todd Kelly poised to cross Bass Strait by Jet Ski
carsales Supercar driver Todd Kelly and two mates are ready to cross Bass Strait on Kawasaki Jet Skiscarsales Supercar driver Todd Kelly has decided there's a decent weather window this Friday May 12 to embark on his Bass Strait crossing on a Jet Ski.
As we reported back in the planning stages, Kelly and two mates are planning to use Kawasaki Jet Skis to cross the treacherous stretch between Victoria and Tasmania.
Their motivation is to raise $10,000 for those afflicted by Multiple Sclerosis. Kick the tin via the link below.
After a weather delay, Todd and his crew plan to depart on Friday May 12 for what should be a four-day return trip. Follow him on this Tracker.
"We have Musto dry suits and just tested them on The Bay. It was 12C and
freezing," Todd says matter-of-factly.
"So we went out a fair way and jumped off the
skis to replicate a drama.
"We soon got confident floating on our backs and it wasn't really cold at all.
"We rolled a ski completely, climbed back aboard, and rehearsed every scenario and it all went perfectly.
You can see a great video on our boatsales Facebook page of Todd running through all his safety gear.
He is well prepared to make sure he's ready to get back behind the wheel of his
Nissan Supercar at Winton Motor Raceway in Victoria the following weekend. Talk about extremes.
THE MODIFIED JET SKI
For the Bass Strait crossing, the motorsports boss from Mildura — and carsales.com.au racing team driver — will be riding a stock Kawasaki Ultra LX jet ski with some custom modifications to improve range and safety.
Foremost, Todd has added a custom 60-litre fuel tank on a rear rack to boost the standard 78-litre supply. The roto-moulded poly fuel tank sits tight in a stainless-steel frame.
In addition to the ski’s existing 220-litres of inbuilt storage, Todd’s added a custom waterproof case to the rear rack for essential gear he needs to keep dry. This includes an array of spares. He has also fitted a bilge pump in the hull with float and dash switch.
A fully waterproof Lowrance VHF radio with AIS (the automatic identification system used to track ships) is mounted on a custom aluminium-billet dash panel. There is a Lowrance Hook 4 chirp sounder and GPS plotter, which has IPX7 waterproof rating and includes Australian charts.
There is new and upgraded nav gear including a full tracking system, Todd tells us, that can see all three jet skis no matter where they are. There will be a link to the tracker on the NissanMotorsportAus facebook page once they set off.
Of course, there will be EPIRBS onboard and each rider will have a personal beacon, plus a satellite phone, and various action cameras.
As you can see in the accompanying photo, Todd has all the right riding gear and looks keen to go.
TWO-WAY CROSSING
Meantime, the plan on the three Kawasaki jet skis is for a 700-800km round trip from Port Welshpool and back. In other words, two crossings of Bass Strait!
The cold reality of riding a jet ski with no protection in May in Bass Strait, what with 14-15C water lashing the helmet and all, will no doubt dawn on Todd and his crew somewhere out there.
The one-way crossing should take about 24 hours with a fuel and overnight pit stop on Flinders Island. They hope to arrive at the Tamar River the following day.
All going well, they will then turn around and head back for Port Welshpool. It should be about four demanding days in the saddle.
Todd’s riding mates are Robert O’Brien from Flexicut and Bryan Hands from Hands-On Kawasaki in the Melbourne Suburb of Lilydale.
WEATHER WATCH
Todd engaged weather experts to identify the right window for his four-day jet ski odyssey. A lot rests with that weather, not least being the riders’ comfort and safety.
Twice as wide and twice as rough as the English Channel, Bass Strait has a formidable reputation for its huge swells and fierce winds across a passage with an average water depth of just 60m. This will be no stroll in the park.
Todd and his crew have enlisted sponsors including Nautilus Insurance. The aim is to raise $10,000 for MS sufferers. You can donate via this link...
Read our previous exclusive Todd Kelly will ride a jet ski to Tasmania.
More on the Kawasaki Jet Skis in Australia at www.kawasaki.com.au/jet-skis.
Follow the NissanMotorsportAus facebook page for updates on Todd's excellent adventure.
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