Falmouth World Record Attempt? Help!

Well, this came up out of a random post on Firetoys.

Everyone likes to see how high you can throw a diabolo (and catch it) so we wondered what the world record was - I got in contact with the Guiness Book of Records and know what it was?


Nothing It has yet to be set - which means whoever "sets" it will be the world record holder (although admittedly not for a very long time )

I've got all the official requirements, rules, regulations and forms etc to make this all official - So I thought the Falmouth weekend would be a good time to try and set it

Now, the trouble is - measuring it. Aside from working out the height through particularly complex mathmatics - the GBoWR says it has to be a "over a bar" type affair (like the high jump basically)

Now, I know I can throw a diabolo VERY high - as in at least 20m - so how the flip can we set that up? It has to be adjustable so the bar can keep on being raised (the bar doesn't have to be loose) and it has to be measurable

So I was thinking - get a cliff, get a long straight pole, measure from the pole to the ground, and stand at the bottom of the cliff to measure the height... A window would be easier - but that requires a lot of very high windows which could possibly get broken . Are there any suitable cliffs in/near Falmouth? Does anyone have a REALLY long tape measure?

Any ideas anyone - and also, anyone up for taking part in setting the world record?

hmmm nice idea

its gonna be tricky to pull off, but i do remember there being a posssibly suitible cliff in falmouth.

good luck.

I know at Maenporth beach we were at (and will be at) there were smallish cliffs either side of the beach.

I reckon it could be done

Cool - does anyone have a long tape measure? How high are the cliffs there?

Does anyone else play with diabolii ? Not that you need to be able to - as long as you can throw and catch one we're sorted.

Sweet idea Durbs,

Ive got a 25m tape - but personally i think the diablo will go higher than that - mmmmmmmmm

Ok - without sounding like too much of a nerd - anyone good with trig?

Basically if i bought my theodolite - we could use the view finder to get the height (angle), use the distance from the person, use trig or SOHCHATOA - then voilla a height is given - me finx that would be the easiest way to measure, it would take about 3 throws to get the diablo sighted - but a persons throw should be similar each time

Although if they state we need a bar for it to cross to enable it to be a record then - everyone donates a staff or two and we tie them all together


Oh and i think the cliffs were about 30ft - ish

Cunning - we wouldn't even need to sight the diabolo - we could sight the pole couldn't we - stick a balloon on the end or summink?

Right, where's my scientific caluculator?

OK here is the plan of how to:

A balloon - some healium (spelt funny mmmmm)

Lots of string - witnesses to say it went as high as the baloon

Pull baloon down and measure string

mmmm whats the exact regs about this bar?

It needs to be over a bar as far as the regs are concerned - BUT...

2 balloons - bar between them!
If it's windy though it's gonna be tricky to throw it over them, but otherwise - perfect

A bamboo pole should be light enough to be lifted my a couple of balloons - Measuring the string won't work as they'll be bowed - so it'd have to be trig again... How much weight can helium balloons lift? Lots of string + a bamboo pole aren't that light

What about near a multistorey car park.....that way you have at least approx measurements to start.....and no windows...well here many carparks are open..

Cunning thought Not sure if there are any car parks near the beach, but if we don't get it sorted then - we can do it back home

good idea on the balloon strugz....you got heeeleeeum?

The cliffs at Maenporth near where we were, were no where near (hmmm...interesting use of words!) 25 metres high although there is a lookout point that's easy to got to and stand safely on to attach a pole. Not sure if the cliff face is sheer enough tho.

Can anyone remember how sheer the cliffs were on the 'other' side?? I'm sure we can find something/where tho without too much trouble...

Mags?? Your local knowledge for local people is in demand!

2 baloons for sure - ill have a hunt for a helium canister - ill leave bamboo stick to someone else.........

Durbs in theory - the wind will effect the measure either way - with the string it may bow a little however evne if you used the theod then as the string bown the distance from the object will change too.......

I say near enuf is good enuf - after all if if is a relitivley non windy day - we shouldnt have any problems - and if it is windy well then we will just have to play on Frodos kite instead! hehehe

Has anyone got a remote controled blimp or ufo thing?
Would that hold a bamboo pole?
Sounds like Falmouth is going to be so much Fun

i dont reckon youd lift a cane with 2 ballons... i might do some working out later and see how much helium youd need to lift a cane + string.

4 balloons!!

They're what? 50p from your local party shop - I think we can push the boat out financially for a world record attempt

ooh look at Mr Money Bags over there!! Thinks we got 50p's lying around all over the place like they're spare change or something!! We're not all from the rich south you know

pretty much copy and pasted from here :

If we assume air weighs in at 1.293 kilograms per cubic meter and helium at 0.179 (at standard temperature and pressure), then provides helium 1.114 kilograms of uplift (1.293­ 0.179). This is, of course, based on Archimedes' principle.
If we assume the cane + string weighs 0.5 (???) kilograms then 0.45 cubic meters (0.5/1.114) give the set up no apparent weight on the ground (neutral buoyancy) but not lift it into the air. Any greater volume would provide lift but, because the density of air decreases with altitude, it would mean a larger balloon volume was required to achieve any great height.

hmm i reckon a ballon holds about maybe 0.1 meters cubed so about 5 should do it

5?! But that'll be 65p!

*starts emptying savings account*

if a balloon is 50p then 5 balloons are 65p?

Most definitely

What we'll have to do is kidnap one of those balloon selling guys and get all his balloons - muahahahahahaaaaaa!!

*ahem*

Yes

Well... some local Falmouth knowledge from an ex-local. *sniff* ask Mags for the up-to-date stuff

There are no multi storey car parks in Falmouth mefraidy, however there is a castle with fairly high walls in some places around the moat, don't think you'd be hitting the 20m mark with those though. There is a pretty high hill/cliff (i don't know how high, it never occurred to me to measure it...) on the way to Maenporth from swanpool but it slopes so you'd need a bloody long pole, and perhaps a good swimmer in case you don't catch the diabolo.... As for helium balloons there is a party/card shop type place called Chazanne which I *think* does them, but I've never seen one of those balloon selling men in Falmouth...

Alternatively the only high places that I can think of are the maritime museum tower, and they're not going to let you do that, or if you find a boat/cruise ship with a very long mast and an extremely friendly owner that you could attach a pole to the top of.... or.......... how high do pole vault bars go? Don't know where there is one in Falmouth but they go near 18m don't they?

Anyway, good luck with your record attempt folks, perhaps you can also take down a couple of mutant falmouth seagulls in the process.... I'd be very happy.

Ok peeps cheapest ive found deliverd to the door is 30 squid for 30 balloon and enuf helium to fill em all up - i thnk it says 0.25m3 of helium................

Im going to buy it

Mainly coz i want to be a part of the record breaking - and also coz my staff workshop will be a whole lot more fun with it

So can someone else sort string and bamboo??

Just a thought... how about getting a long pole (paint it alternating colors per foot/meter) and a video camera? At least you can playback and freeze to count how many feet/meters it went up? It might make computation slightly easier...

Not sure but they might require a representative there to authenticate the findings...

Best of luck!

dont know whether this helps but when i fish with ballons i use a kite as well to give it more stability so if you make the kites fly in slighly opposite directions then it will all hold stedy then use the theo to get the height of the middle of the bar (try plastic plumbers pipe its cheap and light).. oh yeh as im sure you know igniting a ballon full of helium is great fun????

Hmmm, anyone know if there's going to be a video camera there?

I've got the bamboo - will get some string too

Strugz - Helium fuelled lessons? S'gonna be good
Anyone know where to get Nitrous Oxide canisters from?

I have a 50m tape measure and access to balloons and hydrogen. Problem is the balloons would need to inflated in Bristol and then taken to Falmouth by which time most of the hydrogen would have diffused out of the balloons. Also it wouldn't be good if any one sparks up - flame + hydrogen = *BANG*

However two people harnessed up and secured to a good anchor point could safely lower a pole over the cliff as well as the tape measure. Or they could even ab down holding the cane (which would also need to be attached to one person’s harness - a cane from a 50m drop aint gonna do much damage but it would be a pain to need to fetch it).

Just noticed this...

Written by: NOn

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how high do pole vault bars go? Don't know where there is one in Falmouth but they go near 18m don't they?

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I think there may be a mix up betwen feet and metres....the highest pole vault is 6.15 m

For reference 6 metres is probably slightly shorter than a two storey flat roofed house

Yeah - I think that might have been 18 feet...

That's the problem, diabolo's go SOOOOOOOOO high - it's a real mission to measure them

Balloons and Helium in da post

There is enuf to fill 30 9" balloons or enuf baloon to lift Durbs stick and some left over for sillyness

*looks for squeeky voice graemlin*