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Thursday, 01 December 2005 |
The Atlantic Rowing Race begins late from Canary Islands
The Atlantic Rowing Race has begun from the Canary Islands at last
after Tropical Storm Delta delayed the scheduled start on Sunday.
A total of 26 teams are taking part in the non-stop 2,250-mile race
from La Gomera to Antigua in the West Indies. They include British
Olympic rowing gold medallist James Cracknell partnered by TV presenter
Ben Fogle.
New Zealanders Kevin Biggar and James Fitzgerald set the race record
time of 40 days, five hours and 31 minutes in the 2003 event.
The world record for the route is 36 days and 59 minutes, set last year
by the Devon quartet of Phil Langman Shaun Barker, Jason Hart and
Yorkie Lomas.
The competitors, many of whom had little or no rowing experience, will
spend up to two months at sea being battered by storms and living off a
supply of ration pack food. They are divided into solo rowers, pairs
and fours.
Roz Savage, 37, from London, and Chris Martin, 24, from East Molesey, Surrey, will attempt the challenge alone.
Twenty teams of pairs are taking part, most of them British, but also including rowers from Denmark, the US and New Zealand.
Competitors Frank Bruno, 40, and Dominique Benassi, 44, from France, are the first amputees to attempt to row across an ocean.
Four teams of four, including two all-female crews, are also hoping to be first across the finish line in the Caribbean.
Martin Adkin, 19, from Beer, East Devon, who is in a team with his
cousins Justin Adkin, 26, James Green, 24, and Robert Adkin, 23, is
believed to be the youngest person to attempt the feat.
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