TRAVELLING from California to Hawaii in a rowing boat – tackling 40-foot waves and shark-infested water – is the goal 4 adventurous friends have set themselves.
Colin (35, Journalist, Auckland NZ), Sam (26, Journalist, Falmouth Cornwall), James (35, Event Marketer, Wimbledon London) and Fraser (33, Web Developer, Tunbridge Wells, Kent) make up Team Pacific Rowers; an entrant in the inaugural Great Pacific Race. The team hope to be the first quartet to complete the 2100 nautical-mile journey across the North Pacific Ocean from California to Hawaii and to smash the current world record for the crossing.
This route has never been attempted by a team of 4.
Even more remarkable is that none of the team had even touched an oar until about 6 months ago.
The team will line up against 12 other crews from around the world at the start line in Monterey, California, on June 7th. They will finish in Honolulu, Hawaii, 5/6 weeks later. During their time at sea the team will be on a strict rotor of 2hrs rowing, 2hrs resting, 24hrs a day, fitting in sleep and food whenever they can.
The team will be replacing the 7000 calories they will burn every day with freeze dried rations, protein bars and chocolate. During the crossing, they can expect to drop 2 stone in body weight.
Britannia 4, the boat that will become their home for more than a month is a specially designed ocean rowing vessel fitted with solar-powered water desalinators and communication equipment, including a satellite phone – which also provides internet access – and GPS – which will allow you to follow the teams progress in real time across the Pacific. Cabins at either end are used for sleeping, sheltering during bad weather and big seas and to store the crew’s dry-food cuisine and other essentials. Everything the team need for the crossing, they must take with them.
24ft Britannia 4 boat is currently on a container ship making it’s way across the Atlantic. The team fly out to meet it in California on May 22nd where final preparations, training and safety drills will be the focus for the final 2 weeks leading up to the line.
“As one of the most recognisable retailers of water sports in the UK, it’s an honour to have King of Watersports on board with our campaign as an equipment sponsor. Their support and advice has been invaluable to us.
“We’re very excited by this challenge. It is bigger than anything anyone of us have set our minds to before.
“We’re absolutely determined to cross the finish line first, setting the record for the fastest crossing of that ocean by a man power.
“We’re very excited about everything we will experience, the wildlife, the sunsets, the star scapes, the sun rises and just spending a month with a group of great friends.
“None of us has even pulled an oar before so this is a huge undertaking for all of us. We’ve been doing a massive amount of training over the last year to get our bodies in the best possible shape for this gruelling race.
You can find out more about the team at www.pacificrowers.com. On twitter @pacificrowers or on Facebook