Duo to cross Antarctic on kite-drawn sleds

Dublin - Two Irishmen on Monday sought to become the first people to cross the Antarctic on sledges pulled by large kites.

Brian Cunningham, 59, and Jamie Young, 52, flew to the South Pole on Sunday and were to begin the 650-mile (1,040 km) journey on Monday from the South Pole to Patriot Hills at the edge of Antarctica, Cunningham's wife Christine told Reuters.

"It's been a stressful two weeks, not knowing when they would start but they called last night by satellite phone to say they had finally got a plane to the pole," Christine said.

Their lightweight sledge-like buggies, made of titanium and aluminum alloys and capable of speeds of up to 30 mph, were designed by an engineer with the Williams Formula 1 motor racing team, Kieron Bradley.

The pair, both originally from County Antrim, are confident there will be enough wind to keep them moving and a spokesman for sponsors Nestle's Kit Kat said they would each be carrying five different sized kites to make best use of the breezes.

The expedition has been timed to coincide with midsummer in Antarctica, giving them 24-hour sunlight that will enable them to travel for up to 18 hours a day. However, they will still have to endure temperatures of around minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus four Fahrenheit).

They expect to complete their journey in under 14 days, as opposed to around 60 days for a conventional dog-and-man-hauled sledge expedition.

The duo hope their journey will establish "kite-buggies" as a new means for exploring polar regions. -- CNN News

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