Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge

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Votes: 31

by
Tristan Bawn

Sponsored by Talisker Whisky

The Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge is about to come to an end with the winners expected to arrive in Port St Charles in Barbados in the next few weeks. The 3,000 nautical mile race across the Atlantic, which follows the ‘Columbus Route’ started on the 5th of December from Spain’s San Sebastian de la Gomera in the Canary islands, and is on target to raise £1.4M for charities. The race will take around 50 days and out of the 17 teams that started, 5 have already retired, including Team Tom who had to be rescued mid-Atlantic after their boat capsized!

Known as the ‘worlds toughest rowing race”, competitors row for two hours on, two hours off, and have to snatch sleep in tiny cabins when they get the chance. This is hard enough you would think, but include big swells and sometimes extreme weather, whilst still trying to win a race it takes on a whole new meaning of the word ‘tough’!

Team RowforFreedom are raising money for ECPAT UK and the A21 Campaign, which are both charities campaigning to end human trafficking, and are the first all female team. They are also aiming to break the world record for the fastest ever female trans-Atlantic row, so keep your eyes peeled for their time!

Rowing in the solo race is Andrew Brown who is raising money for Help a London Child. He has already sailed across the Atlantic and so this seemed like the perfect challenge for him, he is currently leading!

Team Atlantic Dash, has two firefighters onboard (Jamie Windsor and John Haskell), raising money for the Fire Fighters Charity and have a fire truck themed boat. Shouldn’t be hard to pick them out!

Team Soneravnorge, is a two person team from Norway (Emil Eide Eriksen and Trond Bratland Erichsen), who are raising money for Landsforeningen for Hjerte-og Lungesyke which is the national organisation for heart and lung disease.

Team Tiger, is a husband and wife team who are raising money for St Mungo’s and the Huntingdon’s Disease Association, and they see the race more as an ocean safari than a race. As a married man I can only imagine they must have had the odd argument by now!

Team Row2Recovery is a team of six ex-army veterans. Four of the crew have serious injuries from war, including Neil Heritage who is is a double amputee. They hope to raise £1M for the ‘Help for Heros’. I have the upmost respect for every team in the race as this is a serious undertaking, but these guys will have to overcome a whole host of problems mentally and physically and for that reason I really hope these guys complete the race!!

Teams have already spent five weeks on the ocean, not forgetting Christmas and New Year, and with the end nearing the excitement for he crews must be building.

With the race in its final weeks you can still sponsor one of the teams and follow the final stretches of the race to see who comes out on top!