The guide to the most useless skills in the world may soon be enriched with a new record. In Riga, hundreds of sailors will simultaneously signal with foghorns in the hope that the Guinness World Records will immortalize this achievement.
On June 28, Latvia is set to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Latvian sailing. A variety of events are planned, including the start of the international Gulf of Riga Regatta (GoRR).
One of the highlights of the celebrations will be an unusual flash mob: hundreds of people will simultaneously blow foghorns. It’s not exactly a pleasant sound. The foghorn is designed not to please our ears, but to produce a loud and prolonged blast that can, due to its low frequency, penetrate thick fog without dissipating on water droplets. As you might guess, it is used in poor visibility conditions to warn other vessels of its presence.
However, to make it into the Guinness World Records, what is needed is not fog and common sense, but quite the opposite: a crowd and a complete lack of any sense. Therefore, hundreds of people (the organizers hope there will be around five hundred) will diligently blow their foghorns simultaneously in broad daylight, with clear weather and no real need for it. Stewards, independent witnesses, and an official judge from Guinness World Records will ensure the rules are followed.
If the horn players succeed, the Latvian Sailing Union and the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency will enter this record into that famous little book, where they have already received their share of fame:
-
1,132 participants from Missouri (USA) who simultaneously rubbed their bellies and patted their heads
-
5,748 students from Mississippi State University (USA) who rang cowbells in unison
-
59 Britons who managed to fit inside a single soap bubble at the same time
And other participants of mass records of the same degree of usefulness.
The sounds of hundreds of foghorns can be enjoyed on June 28 from 18:00 to 18:30 in the waters of the Daugava between the Vanšu Bridge and the Riga Passenger Port. Following this, there will be a ceremonial parade of sailing yachts.
Spectators will be able to watch the event from the territory of the Riga Passenger Port, where the festival will take place.
