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Some of you may know that on the December 15th 2015 my 21 year old son Freddie, together with his 21 year old friend Jack Galsworthy, set out on the challenge of their lives in an attempt to break the world record to be the youngest pair ever to row across the Atlantic Ocean.
So many of you have been kindly asking about how everything went for Fred and Jack out in Antigua, thank you so much for your support and your very kind donations to their charity – they have now reached the £40,000 mark which is fantastic.
During the last week of their row Fred and Jack were terribly unlucky to hit some miserable weather, which dragged them far south and almost halted them in their tracks. They were exasperated because the guys just in front missed the worst of it and rowed in 3 days ahead, but as Jack said, they’d made their own luck and deserved it – that and the pair they most wanted to beat were very cool Apache helicopter pilots, both Majors in the Army Air Corps, so they reckoned that was OK!
The boys rowed into English Harbour at about 9.00 at night to the most wonderful atmospheric of receptions, there were about 200 euphoric people shouting and yelling at the quayside with all the boats in the Harbour blowing their horns to welcome them in. There were flares, camera flashes and film crews – Fred and Jack were like startled rabbits caught in headlights, utterly bemused by all the fuss. But once they got through the hullaballoo they started to lap it up and enjoy themselves! Watching them walk was funny because it took a while to find their legs, at one point Jack actually keeled over, but he was fine.
After some interviews on the quay they got stuck into a burger and then guys from boats who’d already got in took them to the bar – Fred made it to his bed early morning and fell asleep fully clothed, the shower he’d been dreaming about for 47 days had to wait until the morning!
The boys are now back at their universities, trying to make up for the lectures they’ve missed. The boat is in a container on the way home where it will find a new crew to hopefully break their record. Fred is planning an Iron Man in New Zealand for next year and they both want to do another adventure together – I suppose it was inevitable!
I would like to say once again thank you to all of you who have so enthusiastically supported Fred and Jack over the past few weeks, it’s been an epic adventure for all of us and you have all been so very kind.
Here is a link to just some of photographs at the finish line. And here is a link to video which was recorded a few minutes after they had arrived, and which we have now renamed the 'unbelievable' video, which you will soon see why!
And finally for those of you who were waiting for them to finish, you can still donate here:
https://www.justgiving.com/Atlantic-Castaways/
For all the details of the challenge and their video, visit their website
http://www.atlanticcastaways.com/
Have a look at their Instagram page with their fun photos
https://instagram.com/atlantic_castaways/
Have a look at the Talisker Challenge video; Talisker is the whisky company who promote the event,
their amazing brewery is based on the beautiful Isle of Skye on the west coast of Scotland
https://www.taliskerwhiskyatlanticchallenge.com/