|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
Camden society strikes a vein of oar on the sea |
|
Andrew Halsey’s failed attempt to row the Pacific has thrown the media spotlight on the Ocean Rowing Society. Ham&High reporter Matthew Eley finds out why such ardent sea-going supporters are based in land-locked Camden Town. |
 IT MAY seem strange that a charity which helps set up and then closely monitors every ocean row attempt is based in a terraced house, miles from the sea in the heart of Camden Town.Executive director Kenneth Crutchlow is the driving force behind the O RS and, along with his wife Tatiana, dedicates most of his time to helping ocean rowers from across the globe fulfil their ambitions. The ORS headquarters is based at Mr Crutchlow’s home in Royal College Street. Since the collapse of Mr Halsey’s Pacific rowing bid, it is almost impossible to maintain a conversation with Mr Crutchlow. The telephone rings constantly with calls either from national newspapers and television companies wanting to find out more about Andrew Halsey or with inquiries from other ocean rowers. “We spend ages trying to get press coverage with no luck then there is a load of interest at once,” says the 57-year-old. Although Mr Crutchlow has never rowed an ocean himself, he does share an extreme sense of adventure with ORS members. An impressive, albeit bizarre, collection of personal triumphs include riding a bike from London to Dundee, swimming from Alcatraz to San Francisco at the height of winter and becoming the first person to run the 500 miles from Los Angeles to San Francisco. It was during an earlier adventure, a seven-year hitchhiking tour around the world, that the seed for the ORS was planted. In July 1969, two days before man first stepped on the moon, Mr Crutchlow was freelancing for an American newspaper when he was asked to cover the arrival of John Fairfax in Hollywood. The Brit was the first individual to row across an ocean. Inspired by the achievement, Mr Crutchlow became friends with many ocean rowers, in particular Peter Bird. The pair started the ORS in 1983. Tragically Mr Bird was lost at sea in a bid to row the Pacific in 1996. Ever since Mr Crutchlow has worked tirelessly to ensure the efforts and achievements of ocean rowers are recorded. “Peter Bird was a great friend who I had the pleasure of travelling around the world with. “When he died The Times called up and said they wanted to do a feature but they didn’t know anything about him. My friend spent 938 days at sea and I thought his achievements should be known so I did it for him and all the other ocean rowers.” Despite a “limited budget” the ORS is now at the heart of every ocean row attempt, providing information for rowers, helping them find equipment, sponsorship and publicity, and publishes details about past and future rows on the website www.oceanrowing.com. According to Geoff Allum, who rowed the Atlantic with his cousin Don in 1971: “People row oceans to impress other people and themselves. It’s just an elaborate way of showing off.” He said Mr Crutchlow has played a vital role in bringing ocean rowers to the public’s attention. “I think ORS has transformed ocean rowing because it used to be a secret little society. Now everyone can follow it day by day,” he said. Andrew Halsey’s latest trip is just part of the ORS’s workload. Plans are underway for a bi-annual cross-Atlantic race and there are seven more ocean rows planned for this year. The club currently has more than 150 members and each year more people contact the club wanting to cross an ocean. “That’s one benefit of being in Camden,” said Mr Crutchlow. “We send them down to Regent’s Canal and tell them to come back when they have at least managed to make it to the zoo.” Ocean row will prevent third try A ROWER who has failed in a second attempt to single-handedly cross the Pacific will not be supported for a third time by the Ocean Rowing Society. Andrew Halsey, of Russell Square, was due to arrive in Guatemala on Tuesday after a joint rescue by a fishing boat from Panama and the United States Coast Guard. He aborted his attempt to cross the ocean after 129 days at sea, with food supplies running low and after having his satellite phone cut off. His bid to row the 8,000 plus miles from Peru to Brisbane Australia had seemed doomed early on in the voyage. He set off in November but due to strong winds and currents made little progress towards his destination. On February 6 he set a new world record – for the slowest row ever. After 72 days at sea he was still 8,108 miles from Brisbane, exactly the same distance as when he started his attempt. Last week the former bricklayer, who suffers from epilepsy, finally gave in and was rescued about 900 miles adrift of the Galapagos Islands. Relatives have already suggested the 46-year-old may try again but it could prove difficult without the support of the ORS, based in Camden Town. Kenneth Crutchlow, executive director of the ORS, told the Ham&High: “I wouldn’t like to see him back in a boat and frankly I can’t see it happening. “I think he should stop now. He rowed the Atlantic and has spent more than 500 days at sea, which is a significant achievement.” He added that it became unlikely Mr Halsey would complete the journey after he got caught in a current and started heading north after a month. Mr Halsey’s mother, Barbara, told the Ham&High her son was “healthy and in good spirits” and she was looking forward to his return home. She was unable to confirm the date of his return or say if he would try again. In his last bid to cross the Pacific in 2000, Mr Halsey was rescued by a Korean cargo ship after 267 days at sea.
|
|
