Editing Richard Branson (section)

==World record attempts==
[[File:Virgin Atlantic Flyer.jpg|thumb|The capsule from the Virgin Atlantic Flyer balloon on display at the [[Imperial War Museum]], [[Duxford]], England]]
[[File:Balloon crash Hawaii.jpg|thumb|A 1998 attempt at an around-the-world balloon flight by Branson, [[Steve Fossett]], and [[Per Lindstrand]] ends in the Pacific Ocean on 25 December 1998.]]
Branson made several world record-breaking attempts after 1985, when in the spirit of the [[Blue Riband]] he attempted the fastest Atlantic Ocean crossing by [[ship]]. His first attempt in the Virgin Atlantic Challenger led to the boat capsizing in British waters and a rescue by Royal Navy helicopter, which received wide media coverage. Some newspapers called for Branson to reimburse the government for the rescue cost. In 1986, in his Virgin Atlantic Challenger II, he beat the record by two hours with sailing expert Daniel McCarthy.<ref name=":0">McKenzie, Sheena (25 April 2013) "[https://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/25/business/richard-branson-virgin-atlantic-challenger-ii/ Back to the future for Richard Branson's retro 80s speedboat] ". CNN. Retrieved 30 April 2014.</ref> A year later his [[hot air balloon]] Virgin Atlantic Flyer crossed the Atlantic.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-07-03-mn-1079-story.html |title=Hot-Air Balloonists Crossing Atlantic Break Record |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=3 July 1987 |access-date=10 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910195843/http://articles.latimes.com/1987-07-03/news/mn-1079_1_hot-air-balloon |archive-date=10 September 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In January 1991, Branson crossed the Pacific from Japan to [[Arctic Canada]], {{convert|6700|mi|km}}, in a balloon of {{convert|2600000|cuft|m3}}. This broke the record, with a speed of {{convert|145|mph|km/h}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-01-23-sp-638-story.html |last=Roberts |first=Rich |date=23 January 1991 |title=Floating into a Nightmare : Two Barely Survive 6,700-Mile Flight Across Pacific in 220-Foot Balloon |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191007121239/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-01-23-sp-638-story.html |archive-date=7 October 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Between 1995 and 1998, Branson, [[Per Lindstrand]], [[Vladimir Dzhanibekov]], [[Larry Newman (aviator)|Larry Newman]], and [[Steve Fossett]] made attempts to circumnavigate the globe by balloon. In late 1998, they made a record-breaking flight from Morocco to Hawaii but were unable to complete a global flight before [[Bertrand Piccard]] and [[Brian Jones (aeronaut)|Brian Jones]] in ''[[Breitling Orbiter 3]]'' in March 1999.

In March 2004, Branson set a record by travelling from [[Dover]] to [[Calais]] in a [[Gibbs Aquada]] in 1 hour, 40 minutes and 6 seconds, the fastest crossing of the [[English Channel]] in an [[amphibious vehicle]]. The previous record of six hours was set by two Frenchmen.<ref name="Rick">{{cite news| title = Branson sets cross-Channel record|work=BBC News| date = 14 June 2004| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/coventry_warwickshire/3805275.stm| access-date = 13 June 2007| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070831132114/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/coventry_warwickshire/3805275.stm| archive-date = 31 August 2007| url-status=live }}</ref>
The cast of ''[[Top Gear (2002 TV series)|Top Gear]]'', [[Jeremy Clarkson]], [[James May]] and [[Richard Hammond]], attempted to break this record in 2007 with an amphibious vehicle which they had constructed and, while successfully crossing the channel, did not break Branson's record. After being intercepted by the Coast Guard and asked what their intentions were, Clarkson remarked "...our intentions are to go across the Channel faster than 'Beardy' Branson!". The Coast Guard wished them 'Good luck and Bon Voyage'.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVjo6YOT3Zg | title=Crossing the Channel in Car Boats! (HQ) – Top Gear – Series 10 – BBC | website=[[YouTube]] | date=17 July 2014 | access-date=17 July 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140723170802/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVjo6YOT3Zg | archive-date=23 July 2014 | url-status=live }}</ref>

In September 2008, Branson and his children made an unsuccessful attempt at an eastbound record crossing of the Atlantic Ocean under sail in the {{convert|99|ft|m|adj=on}} [[sloop]] ''Virgin Money''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.meeja.com.au/index.php?display_article_id=158 |title=Richard Branson sets out to crack transatlantic sail record|first=Michelle|last=Nichols |publisher=meeja.com.au |date=3 September 2008 |access-date=3 September 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216184602/http://www.meeja.com.au/index.php?display_article_id=158 |archive-date=16 February 2012 }}</ref> The boat, also known as ''Speedboat'', is owned by [[NYYC]] member Alex Jackson, who was a co-skipper on this passage, with Branson and Mike Sanderson. After two days, four hours, winds of [[Beaufort scale|force]] 7 to 9 (strong gale), and seas of {{convert|40|ft|m}}, a 'monster wave' destroyed the [[spinnaker]], washed a ten-man life raft overboard and severely ripped the mainsail. The sloop eventually continued to [[St. George's, Bermuda]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nyyc.org/archives_public/|title=Virgin Money Is Attempting to Break Transatlantic Passage Record|publisher=nyyc.org|date=23 October 2008|access-date=23 October 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081223022340/http://nyyc.org/archives_public/|archive-date=23 December 2008}}</ref>