The Atlantic Ocean
A crew of 4 will set off from Lanzarote and, using muscle power alone, row 3,200 miles of open Atlantic Ocean that lie between them and Antigua. They will be completely unsupported for the crossing.
Despite the fact that there is an organised ocean rowing race across the Atlantic held every year, there are still more people who have been into space than have successfully rowed the Atlantic. It is an incredibly tough challenge and is often quoted in the media as being “The world’s toughest row”. With the experience of the crew on board we expect the crossing to take between 35 to 45 days, depending on weather conditions.
The Atlantic Ocean
2021
A crew of 4 will set off from Lanzarote and, using muscle power alone, row 3,200 miles of open Atlantic Ocean that lie between them and Antigua. They will be completely unsupported for the crossing.
Despite the fact that there is an organised ocean rowing race across the Atlantic held every year, there are still more people who have been into space than have successfully rowed the Atlantic. It is an incredibly tough challenge and is often quoted in the media as being “The world’s toughest row”. With the experience of the crew on board we expect the crossing to take between 35 to 45 days, depending on weather conditions.
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4 MEN
3,200 MILES
45 DAYS
4 MEN
3,200 MILES
45 DAYS
The Challenge
The crew will have to work together as a team to ensure the crossing is successful. Unsupported means just that, and they will have to deal with anything that gets thrown at them. There is no stopping and calling a specialist out to help with repairs, no popping to A&E for medical attention. Although the crew will be able to use a satellite phone to seek advice they, and they alone, will be the ones who have to deal with any and all problems they encounter. If they do get into trouble and need help it is entirely possible that they will have to wait for up to 5 days for the cavalry to arrive. Everything that they will need will have to be loaded onto the boat before they leave and once they have left there is no turning back.
BLISTERS
SHIPS
SHARKS
DEHYDRATION
They will experience sleep deprivation, extreme fatigue, massive weight loss, huge seas and the only place that all 4 crew will have to shelter is a tiny cabin no larger than the size of a small double bed.
The boat is 29ft long, a little under 6ft wide and will be the crews life support system for the time that they are on the water.The crew will be rowing in pairs and will be running on a shift pattern of two hours rowing followed by 2 hours resting for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
STORMS
HALLUCINATIONS
HEALTH
EXHAUSTION
From the second the crew push off until they next set foot on dry land, the boat will be everything to them. They will either be on deck rowing or they will be in the tiny cabin at the back of the boat. Inside this they will rest, cook, eat, sleep navigate, communicate with the outside world and each other, patch up any injuries, write blogs and film vlogs, carry out any equipment repairs…in fact the only thing that they won’t be doing is in the cabin is going to the toilet. This is an alfresco affair that bears a striking resemblance to a bucket on deck because it is a bucket on deck. Lovely when it’s sunny and calm but try to imagine yourself balanced atop said bucket when there are howling winds and towering waves crashing on deck…
The Crew
BILLY TAYLOR
The Skipper
Billy started ocean rowing challenges in 2014 after finding out his childhood friend had been diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease. He has rowed across the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans, the Mediterranean and the English channel, all of which have been used to raise awareness of Parkinson’s Disease and mental health charities.
MATTHEW PRITCHARD
The Dirty Vegan
The pro skateborder and TV daredevil found fame in MTV’s Dirty Sanchez leading to a drink and drug filled lifestyle. He turned his life around in 2011 when he began a series of fitness challenges, including a continuous Deca (10x ironman). He is now going to take himself out of his comfort zone with a voyage that will test him to the extreme.
JOHNNY WARD
The Blogger
Johnny is a self-confessed ‘normal’ Irishman who felt there was more to life than a 9-5 job, and with that, he took off around the world, literally. He has been to every, single, country! What he hasn’t done, is row an ocean, and this latest challenge will be his most demanding yet.
MARTIN HESELTINE
The Sea Dog
Martin was once chased through Nigeria by 300 locals with machetes shouting ‘kill him’. Whilst that alone means he needs no further introduction, he has spent huge portions of his life on the high seas. Rowing an ocean is new to Martin, but will be the latest in a long line of unique adventures in Martin’s life.
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