They left New York Harbour on June 7th in their boat 'Liberty of Essex'. Guin Batten, their captain and a silver Olympic medal winner from the 2000 Sydney Games, said "We set out to break the speed record of 43 days for the whole crossing, but a force 10 gale in the middle of Atlantic put paid to that. However we've had some fantastic days since then and may break a 24 hour rowing speed record yet."
The crew ranges from 49-year-old Guin through to 20-year-old oceanographer university student Molly Brown, who will become the youngest woman to have rowed the Atlantic. Also on board are Dr. Gilly Mara, who recovered from breaking her neck in a mountain fall in 2002 to become one of the fastest ultra-kayakers in the UK, Alex Holt, a water-ski and snow ski instructor, and Mary Sutherland, an accomplished offshore sailor and racer with several Fastnet and Atlantic crossings under her belt.
They are raising funds for the Youth Sports Trust, a national and international charity that helps foster sport in schools.
Assisted on-shore by Charlie Pitcher, whose company, Rannoch Adventures, built and supplied Liberty, their vessel. Charlie is the current world record holder for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic, having rowed it in 35 days in 2013 – East to West in 2013.
They’re exploits are updated regularly on Facebook https://www.facebook.
and on twitter @rannochwc
NB: There is a space for one journalist on the rig sailing out to greet the crew on the Wednesday.
Regards
Graham Sievers
+44(0)77 222 82946