North Atlantic record hunt heats up
May 6, 2005 14: 17 EST
Yesterday, ExplorersWeb published a story about the Vivaldi Atlantic 4 team’s goal to row from Canada to the UK this summer. It looks like they weren’t the only ones with North Atlantic dreams this year! In May 2005 (Atlantic 4 is scheduled to leave in June) four former students from the Erasmus University will start their challenge against the elements of the North Atlantic Ocean.
Physical and psychological limits
Gijs Groeneveld, Robert Hoeve, Jaap Koomen, and Maarten Staarink make up the Dutch team. They’ve been training by taking short rowing trips in the North Sea, and they’ll need every bit of their stamina to make the 6350 km trip. The route follows the path of the Holland-America line, a shipping route founded in 1873. As crew member Gijs Groeneveld puts it, “It’s a fantastic chance to test my physical and psychological limits.”
Record hunting
It seems like records are on all the rowers’ minds this year, and Ocean Fours is no different. They plan to set a new record by rowing days from New York to the Scilly Islands (UK) in less then 55 days. After this journey they will row to their home city Rotterdam.
Like the Vivaldi Atlantic 4 team, this will be a self-sufficient crossing for the Ocean Fours team. However, the Atlantic 4 team will set out from Canada, while Ocean Fours begins from New York.
Frank Samuelson and George Harbo, two Norwegian immigrants and fishermen, rowed with an eighteen foot skiff ‘The Fox” in 55 days from New York to the Scilly Islands. The ocean rowing pioneers ended their trip in Le Havre. They hoped to cash in on the lucrative lecture tour circuit and make their fortunes. But they ended up with two medals and had to return to fishing. George Harbo died in 1908 and Frank Samuelson in 1946. Their record of 55 days has yet to be broken for that particular route.
Ocean Fours will make their Atlantic crossing attempt in an 11.1 meter long boat. They will be using Contact 3.0 software to provide live images and updates of their expedition.
Image courtesy of oceanfours.com
|
|
Feature Stories |
|
Latest News |
more news |
 |
Young sailor missing outside of Trinidad
Full Story
|
 |
Minoru Saito: Oldest around the world update
Full Story
|
 |
A new world speed sailing record: Ellen made it!
Full Story
|
 |
Vendee Globe 2005 Finish newsflash
Full Story
|
 |
Maud Fontenoy - another adventure has begun
Full Story
|
 |
Fedor Konyukhov: Declines Argos replacement on unassisted sail
Full Story
|
|
|
| Fedor - less than a week to go! Jun 3, 2005 | | Saito San - closing in on home and record! Jun 2, 2005 | | Atlantic Four: And they are off! Jun 1, 2005 | | Ollie - is anybody out there? May 31, 2005 | | ExplorersWeb Week in Review May 30, 2005 | | And they are off! May 27, 2005 | | Ellen gives transatlantic record a second battle May 27, 2005 | | Vagabond update - Polar bears, 200 candles and ice melting in Inglefieldbukta May 26, 2005 | | ExWeb interview - Atlantic Four: "It was all about persuading our wives" May 25, 2005 | | Iridium: "Invalid battery - matches found, 0" May 24, 2005 |
|
|
|
