Story
Atlantic Rowing Challenge
On 6th December 2009 Jimmy and Adam, ‘The Pytheas Club’, will leave La Gomera in the Canary Islands to row unsupported across the Atlantic Ocean with the aim of winning the Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race. The race takes place every 2-years and sees a fleet of 20 ocean rowing boats competing to be the first to make landfall 3,300 miles away in English Harbour, Antigua. Although December and January are favoured months for a mid-Atlantic crossing, storms are still common and the weather will be key to the crew’s success.
Boat and Equipment
Jimmy and Adam will be crossing the Atlantic in The Spirit of Montanaro, a 24-foot ocean rowing boat. The rowing position on the main deck will be manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the duration of the crossing which is likely to be around seven weeks. Under the main deck are storage compartments for food, emergency water supplies and equipment. The rear cabin will provide sleeping accommodation and will also be the communication and navigation centre. In order to be self-sufficient for the duration of the crossing the boat will carry all of the equipment and supplies necessary to survive for seven weeks at sea. Freeze-dried rations and use of a water-maker will reduce the weight of food and water the crew will need to carry.
The Charity
The Pytheas Club are raising money for Save the Children, a charity with programmes ranging from immunisation schemes in Nigeria to combating child trafficking in Myanmar. For more information please visit www.savethechildren.org.uk
The Team
Jimmy – “I’m a naturally sporty kind of person. Football, cricket and running are my usual pastimes and I’m always looking for a new challenge. My friends seem to think I’m competitive but that’s not true; I just love winning! It is important to point out that this is not just a rowing trip across the Atlantic – we intend to break records and in the process raise as much money for charity as possible.”
Adam – “Challenges are important to me because I believe that by challenging ourselves we define who we are as people. Our Atlantic row will require significant organisation but the amount that Jimmy and I will come to learn about ourselves and each other over the course of seven weeks and three-thousand miles at sea will make it all worthwhile.”