Eat, Sleep, Row, Repeat…
Dubbed ‘Team Wadadli,’ Nick Fuller, Peter Smith, Archie Bailey and JD Hall, are a foursome who have literally lived for the sea. So it is no surprise that they- in their Rannoch R45 fours boat ‘Wa’Omoni’- are willing to test their skills against other competitors and the mighty Atlantic Ocean by participating in the TALISKER Whisky Atlantic Challenge. This extreme rowing competition sets off from the Canary Islands on December 15th and hopefully ends about 6 weeks later in the historic Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua . This test of seamanship will see them cover about 3,000 nautical miles in conditions that are not for the faint of heart. True, by the time this race begins, the Atlantic hurricane season would have already ended but that does not mean that it will be flat water. Even a ‘land lubber’ knows that the ocean is an unpredictable place and for all we know, the rowers in this race could face 30ft waves, squalls or other nautical challenges that could imperil the journey. Yet these men are determined to rise and meet the challenge of competing in and completing the premier ocean rowing event that draws people from all walks of life and from all around the world.
This race could be considered an item on a ‘bucket list’, there is no huge bounty for the rowers; the real beneficiaries of this race are the many causes that the various teams support. In the case of ‘Team Wadadli’, it is hoped that the media coverage generated will not only raise the awareness of the work that the St. John Hospice has been doing here in Antigua and Barbuda for the terminally ill but spur others to become involved in this special charity. According to Dr. Fuller, a ‘fair chunk’ of the entrance fee has been paid but with a total estimated cost to the team of 122, 500 euros, there’s a lot more room for sponsorship cargo, so visiting his blog and contacting him at www.antiguaatlanticrowers.com is the easiest way to become involved in this worthy cause.
Now that the practice rows around the island have been completed, ‘Wa’Omoni’ has been filled with supplies and readied to be shipped off to the starting point of the race in the Canaries thanks to Geest lines, who has offered to do this free of cost. Other sponsors onboard this challenge include Harney Motors, Grant Thornton, The Ministry of Tourism, Hoo-rag, Francis Trading Agency, North Coast Hardware, ADOMS, Princeton Tech, Anjo Insurances, Massey United Insurances , Antigua Charter Yacht Meeting , English Harbour Charity , Catamaran Marina, and the Falmouth Harbour Marina who started the ball rolling with a very significant donation. All that is left now is for the ‘sea dogs’ is to get to San Sebastian and await the starter’s gun so that they can Eat, Sleep, Row, Repeat their way to Nelson’s Dockyard. Here,instead of being green with envy like many of the onlookers, they’ll be part of a contingent that would have been well- tanned ,salted and self fulfilled from their Atlantic journey.