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Hearing date set for Atlantic Rowing Challenge protest
11:44 a.m. EST Jan 16, 2004
January 27th in Southampton, England has been set as the hearing date and location for the protest lodged by Team CRC against Holiday Shoppe Challenge’s first place finish in the recent Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Challenge.
Last November, New Zealanders Kevin Biggar and Jamie Fitzgerald rowed Holiday Shoppe Challenge to a record-breaking finish in the 2,900 mile trans-Atlantic race from the Canary Islands to Barbados. They completed the race in 40 days and five hours. Defending champs and fellow Kiwis, Steve Westlake and Matt Goodman of Team CRC – who'd held the lead for much of the race – crossed the finish line nine hours later in second place. Immediately upon arrival, they cried foul and filed the first protest in the rowing race’s history.
Ever since the protest was lodged in early December, allegations have been flying, including rumors involving team member's wives and allegations that Holiday Shoppe Challenge allegedly threw heavy equipment or water ballast overboard to pick up speed and gain the advantage.
In a phone call with ExplorersWeb, Theresa Page, General Manager of the Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Challenge, confirmed the hearing details and said that the competitors involved in the protest have been notified. She states that while others have mentioned allegations of discarded ballast and weight, Team CRC’s specific protest relates to Holiday Shoppe Challenge’s use of their boat’s solar panel. Rules specify that the solar panel may not be elevated beyond 15º. The protest alleges that Holiday Shoppe Challenge tilted their panel up to 90º, making it, in effect, a sail for the boat.
Since there is no precedent for protest in the race's history and, to date, no official governing body for such an event, the organizers have assembled a committee that will conduct the hearing by rules that govern international sailing. Thus, all boats in the race are required to be in port before the hearing will be held. Only one team remains at sea – Madine Meuse Lorraine, an unofficial competitor that restarted after disqualification early in the race. They are due in Barbados in a matter of days.
Sunday October 19, 2003, 16 double-handed teams from South Africa, New Zealand, France, the UK and the Caribbean (for the first time) set out from La Gomera in the Canary Islands for a 2,900 mile rowing race to Barbados on 24 ft boats made of marine plywood.
The record of 41 days was set by Rob Hamill and the late Phil Stubbs in 1997. The teams will, on average, row 18 hours a day. Any outside assistance will disqualify the teams. Tins of food would weigh the boats down so freeze dried food (7000kcal per day), featuring such delights as chicken curry and Spotted Dick, constitute their staple diets.
The organizers have arranged for daily logs on the main website. In addition three of the teams use ExplorersWeb's Contact 2.0 with daily pics, voice dispatches and updates on their own websites. Our teams are Atlantic Wollf, Bluebell and Team RowingHome (the Caribbean pioneers).
At 15:31 GMT on November 28, New Zealand team Holiday Shoppe Challenge was the first to cross the finish line in Barbados, followed the next day by fellow New Zealanders, Team CRC. Team CRC has launched a protest against Holiday Shoppe Challenge, the details of which have yet to be announced.
Team CRC has since filed a protest against Holiday Shoppe Challenge’s victory with race organizers. A hearing and decision will be made on January 27th in Southampton, England.
Image of Holiday Shoppe Challenge courtesy of rowing.challengebusiness.com/en
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