‘Boaty McBoatface’ leads race to name UK research ship, as internet competition backfires
Other contenders proposed by mischievous Britons include RRS Usain Boat, RRS Kanye West and RRS I Like Big Boats And I Cannot Lie
Britain’s new high-tech polar research ship could end up being called Boaty McBoatface, with the joke name leading the public vote by several nautical miles on Monday.
Former BBC radio presenter James Hand, who came up with the name, said 90 per cent of the thousands of entries were daft anyway - so he thought he would throw in one of his own.
He suggested the name to the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) on Thursday, since when the Royal Research Ship Boaty McBoatface name has sailed way ahead of the competition.
Before the voting site crashed under the weight of people trying to have their say, Hand’s suggestion was leading with 28,590 votes, far ahead of its closest competitor, which had just over three thousand votes.
Some of the more unusual suggestions include the RRS Onion Knight, RRS Pingu, RRS Usain Boat, RRS I Like Big Boats And I Cannot Lie and RRS Kanye West.
The £200 million (US$290 million) state-of-the-art polar research ship, which will be 128 metres long and weigh 15,000 tonnes, is set to sail in 2019.
“Operating in one of the world’s most challenging global environments - our polar regions - we’re looking for an inspirational name that exemplifies the work it will do,” the NERC said when it launched the naming competition.