Oliver Hicks



Briton Launches Atlantic Rowing Record Attempt
May 27, 2005	By Chris Court and Victoria Ward
A 23-year-old British oarsman today launched his bid to become the youngest and fastest person to row solo across the north Atlantic from west to east. Oliver Hicks, set off from New Jersey in the US at around 10.30am local time (3.30pm BST) on the 3,000-mile crossing, hoping to reach Falmouth, Cornwall, ahead of the current 62-day record. Hicks, from Thorpeness, Suffolk, will join an elite band if he makes the crossing. Less then 150 people have rowed the Atlantic – and only 12 have completed the west-east trip. The oarsman, who has wanted to make the trip since he was 13 years old, said he had chosen the optimum route to make the crossing as quickly as possible. Family members and local people waved him off on his marathon row in perfect weather. Before leaving from the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club in New Jersey, he said: “I will be hitching a lift on the north-eastern side of the current and winds which will assist my passage to the UK.” The record-breaking attempt is being sponsored by Virgin Atlantic and company chairman, Sir Richard Branson, who wished the oarsman all the best on his adventure. “I remember fondly my first boat adventure and I can relate to the challenges Oliver will face on his journey,” he said. Weather permitting, Hicks will row non-stop for around 14 hours a day, stopping only to eat and sleep. Living on dehydrated ready meals, he will pull more than 7,000 strokes a day and faces extreme cold, severe blisters and hand cramps. His Atlantic-class rowing boat is a self-contained vessel capable of carrying two men, and has made the crossing twice already. The youngest person to cross the Atlantic is currently 29-year-old Emmanuel Coindre, who made the trip in 2002. Hicks is using the experience to raise money for Hope and Homes Children’s charity – which helps children worldwide made homeless by war or disaster.