Topics: asap, lifesaving, ross kemp, sir richard branson, support craft, watercraft

A YOUNG British inventor hopes to revolutionise Australian beaches with a one-person motorised lifesaving craft that has won awards in the UK.

And Ross Kemp has some heavy-hitting support, with Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson flying him to Australia to test his craft on our beaches.

The Asap, as Mr Kemp's craft is known, combines the manoeuvrability of a small paddleboard with on-board electric propulsion to help reach people in trouble faster.

He developed his idea while doing lifesaving training in Britain and designed his first prototypes during his product design degree at Loughborough University.

In September last year, while refining Asap at the university, he won investment from businessman Richard Reed on the BBC TV show Be Your Own Boss.

It was there that Asap caught the attention of Sir Richard, who offered to fly Mr Kemp to Australia to test the product with world-class lifeguards.

"It's taken months of long days, even longer nights and strong coffees, but we've designed a fantastic rescue product which I am certain will help rescuers reach people in the water quicker," Mr Kemp said.

"Australia is one of the best places in the world to test our product, with some of the world's greatest lifeguards."

Sir Richard, who owns luxury Makepeace Island in the Noosa River and occasionally visits the Sunshine Coast, said he had a deep passion for protecting the ocean but was also familiar with its dangers.

Original post:

New board motors in to test waters