The opportunity for the Bloodhound team to say thank you to the Hakskeenpan workers and their families came about when Richard Noble visited the Northern Cape in December. The mammoth task the workers have undertaken over the past year was to clear the 20 km track of 6,000 tonnes of stones and rocks, resulting in the first world record associated with the Bloodhound Project – the largest land mass cleared by hand and the equivalent of 4,000 football pitches!
Over 120 Rietfontein workers and their families listening enthusiastically to the Bloodhound story
Picture above: Klein Mier workers and their families crowd around Richard to watch a video on his computer
Richard was in South Africa talking to major companies and potential sponsors and to finalise details with the Northern Cape Government about their support plan for the scheduled arrival of the car in 2013. The visit and project updates were given to the workers in schools, churches and public halls in Klein Mier, Groot Mier, Leeu Bos, Philandersbron and Rietfontein and were organised by Nico Fourie (Northern Cape Roads & Public Works director) and Aubrey Monton (Hakskeenpan works manager).
Bloodhound the horse
Although the car was originally scheduled to arrive in 2011, and the delay has been due to the complexity of obtaining an aerodynamic shape that would ensure the car stays on the surface at all speeds, the pan workers are even more eager to see BLOODHOUND SSC arrive on its truck down the R31 road and turning left onto the pan. Even the local Bushman, dressed only in his animal loin skin cloth for the tourist cameras, was aware of the project and sees BLOODHOUND SSC as a great enterprise opportunity. This is another of the reasons why the Northern Cape Provincial Government is supporting the project that will help with the economic development of one of South Africa’s poorest regions. How the engineering team obtained the high tech solution was part of Richard’s presentation but many of the audience had been passionately following the website and knew that reversing the positions of the rocket and jet was key to overcoming the problem!As the number one aim of the Bloodhound Project is to excite young people about science and maths it was enormously rewarding to see so many children interested in the plans to increase the World Land Speed Record by a staggering 30%. Richard was also introduced to Bloodhound, a local herdsman’s horse named in celebration of the car! As an extra special thank you, Richard announced that each worker would receive a food hamper in time for the Christmas festivities from the Bloodhound team.
Dave Rowley December 2012
