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| March 29,2001 |
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THURSDAY STORY |
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by Dale Paget |
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GOLD COAST, March 29 AAP - Battling heavy seas and strong winds off the south
Queensland coast, British rower Jim Shekhdar is exhausted but confident he can
complete his world record setting 13,000 kilometre crossing of the Pacific Ocean
in time to have a cold beer at the weekend. The 54 year old retired computer salesman and his row boat, Le Shark, are being blown in a northerly direction, less than 150 kilometres off the Gold Coast. "I feel like I might be going to the Solomons or New Guinea rather than Australia with the wind blowing like this," Mr Shekhdar told AAP via satellite phone today. "There's about a 10 foot swell and 25 knot winds with the sun out." While Mr Shekhdar is at the mercy of the weather, he is doing his best to get closer to the shore by increasing his time at the oars. "I was okay a couple of days ago but I'm getting a bit knackered at the moment," he said. "I am working extra, extra hard." Mr Shekhdar believes he could even reach the coast by late tomorrow but the landing could be anywhere from the New South Wales border to the Sunshine Coast. Asked what he'd like to do when he reaches land Mr Shekhdar replied: "Drink a beer," but he then quickly changed his mind. "I take that back in case she reads your newspapers. It's cuddle my wife and my daughters and then drink a beer and have an icecream." If Mr Shekhdar can reach land he'll become the first person to row across the Pacific Ocean without assistance. Since 1896 there have been more than 100 attempts to row across oceans with about half making it. Most of the rowers are English. "I don't know why," said Ocean Rowing Society executive director, Mr Kenneth Crutchlow. "I think most are doing creative job avoidance." Since 1966 six rowers have lost their lives at sea. Among them was Englishman Peter Bird whose record Mr Shekhdar hopes to eclipse. Mr Bird rowed from San Francisco to Australia in 1983 but was given food and water supplies on the way. He died in 1996 while attempting a westerly crossing of the Pacific from Russia. Mr Shekhdar has no plans to row the Pacific Ocean again. "I think this is probably a one off," he said from his boat. "I won't be doing this one again." |
© 1983-2001 Ocean Rowing Society
