Campaign to name 'Boaty McBoatface' after cyclist

The sister of a climate change scientist killed while cycling in London has started a campaign to name a polar research vessel –currently set to be called “Boaty McBoatface”- after her.

Climate change expert, Dr Katharine Giles, who made important discoveries on melting sea ice, was killed following a collision with a tipper truck in Victoria, central London, in 2013.

A competition to name a new £200m ship, which will set sail for Antarctica in 2019, was launched earlier this year by the National Environment Research Council (NERC). After a joke suggestion to name the ship “Boaty McBoatface” gained traction and 110,000 votes, Nikki Giles launched a campaign to name the ship RRS Katharine Giles after her sister instead.

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Dr Giles, who was originally from Stansted, was co-author and presenter of the 2006 Faraday Lecture on global warming. After completing her undergraduate degree at University College London (UCL) with first class honours, she went on to study postgraduate, masters and doctorate courses in climate change science at UCL and, according to colleagues, was a contender to lead the Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling at the university, when she died on April 8.

Ms Nikki Giles told the Standard “Boaty McBoatface is very funny. It’s also brought great publicity for Nerc’s new ship. But I’m fighting for my sister’s name to be on the boat because I feel she deserves it.”

The deadline for votes is 16 April.