OVERSHADOWED
Finally as we closed within a mile or so of the giant turbines, we could just about make out Nik’s sail blasting back and forwards across the horizon, dwarfed by the sheer size of the fans.
The diameter of the rotors alone is 90 metres and each blade alone weighs 6.6 tonnes. Up close the whirring noise of the fans is surprisingly loud, not deafening but you can definitely understand why land-based turbines have caused nearby residents stress and insomnia. The argument for turbines are that they produce no greenhouse gases once they are produced plus they make the UK rely less on the volatile supplies from abroad. The government has set targets to produce fifteen per cent of energy from renewables by 2020 so the turbines fit right into these plans despite their expense. On the negative side, the turbines only last around twenty five years and only produce energy for a third of the time, hence needing back up from nuclear, gas or coal technology anyway. Every single fan seemed to be whirring around quite happily in the wind and ironically that same power that was turning these massive blades was also ample to power Nik’s 8.4m S Type and 150 litre Fanatic Shark.