The Mirror

GALE HITS ROW PAIR

17/02/2001

TWO rowers sponsored by the Mirror yesterday vowed to conquer the Pacific. They steered their 24ft boat Crackers under the bows of the mighty 20,000- ton aircraft carrier Invincible to show they appreciate the size of their task. Royal Marine corporals Tim Welford, 32, and Dominic Mee, 30, are determined to be the first to row across the world's greatest ocean. When Princess Anne met them at the London Boat Show recently she asked: "You're not really going to do this, are you? Have you been certified?" The 5,000-mile journey, dubbed Pacific Odyssey, will start in May at a small Japanese fishing village. It should end 120 days later near San Fransisco. Tim and Dominic will have to brave storms and shark infested seas. All previous bids to row across the ocean have failed. Dominic said: "We're feeling strong and focused. We're almost ready. "Of course we're going to do it, but at the moment we're the only ones who believe it." Their punishing daily training schedule begins with a six-mile run. They then do two hours on a rowing machine, two more in the gym and five more rowing on a river or the open sea. The two commandos will put on as much weight as possible before they set off, as they expect to lose three stones at sea. The Mirror is the Pacific Odyssey expedition's exclusive media sponsor.