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(AP) — INDIANAPOLIS — Emily Kohl and Sarah Kessans grew up in two
landlocked Midwestern towns hundreds of miles from the Atlantic Ocean.
But come November, these two young landlubbers will launch a rowboat
from the Canary Islands off the north coast of Africa and attempt an
ocean-crossing voyage as competitors in the Woodvale Atlantic Rowing
Race.
The two rowers are not intent on simply finishing the race, which spans
2,900 nautical miles (and sounds less formidable than the total in land
miles: 3,335).
"We're looking to break the women's record of 50 days, so that would
average 60 (nautical) miles per day," said Kohl, 22, a former Purdue
University rowing team member.
The race will conclude on the island of Antigua in the eastern
Caribbean. The journey has taken previous competitors as long as 111
days to complete.
Only 141 people total have finished the previous races (three have been
held since 1997). In contrast, 2,249 people have climbed Mount Everest,
according to everesthistory.com.
These two rowers are no strangers to muscling a boat over the water,
however.
Kessans, 21, from Salem, Ind., is one of the leading rowers on Purdue's
crew team. Kohl, from Plainfield, Ill., rowed four years at Purdue and
now coaches rowers at Michigan State University.
The two didn't take up the sport until they got to Purdue, but both fell
in love with it and became avid rowers.
"I would put Emily and Sarah, as far as intensity and strength, right up
there with the top women (rowers) in the country," said David Kucik,
head coach for Purdue's crew teams.
"They compete well, they're team players, and they do well with
adversity," he added.
The two young rowers are the only Americans in this year's race, which
is organized by a British group. Most of the 46 entries are pairs. A few
will try the crossing alone or as four-member teams.
For most of the trip, Kohl and Kessans will take two-hour shifts rowing
the 24-foot wooden boat. At other times, they will rest, cook or clean
barnacles off the hull.
All competitors use a similar watercraft, which was designed as a
seaworthy rowboat. It has a small cabin, and the deck is lined with
watertight compartments for storing hundreds of pounds of gear and
freeze-dried food.
By Indiana lake standards, a 24-foot boat would be on the long side. At
800 pounds, with another 800 pounds of crew and gear, it seems a little
hefty for rowing.
But on the Atlantic, that's a minute speck on a huge ocean, which is up
to 5 miles deep as well as thousands of miles across.
In addition to potential storms and big waves, the rowers could bump
into sharks in the west-to-east currents. The race was inspired by a
trans-Atlantic rowing voyage in 1966 by two men, who snapped a picture
of a large shark following their small boat.
But the risk from toothy fish may pale in comparison to the danger posed
by Mother Nature.
Race organizers have scheduled the event after hurricane season, but
there's really no telling what it will be like at any given time during
the crossing.
"One day they could find flat, calm conditions, and the next day they
could find 20-foot swells," said Teresa Page, general manager of
Woodvale Events Ltd. in Devon, England. Woodvale plans the Atlantic race
as well as two similar events — the Ocean Fours Rowing Race for
four-person teams over the same Atlantic course and the Indian Oceans
Rowing Race.
Kessans and Kohl may find themselves crowding into the boat's tiny cabin
and waiting out a storm if it gets too hairy. The boat is designed to be
self-righting if it capsizes, and all teams are required to bring safety
equipment with them. That includes an EPIRB — an electronic beacon to
aid a rescue — plus a life raft, a GPS navigational unit and an
extensive medical kit.
"We're self-supporting out there; once we leave the start, it's us,"
Kohl said.
One veteran international sailor — and former Purdue rower — wonders
whether the two Midwestern women really know what they are getting into.
"It's not like rowing on the Wabash River," said Bill Butler, 75, who
just published a book about his 66 days adrift in a life raft in the
Pacific Ocean after his sailboat sank in 1989.
"My experience has been, every 100 days at sea, there are 10 nasty ones.
They are out 60 days, they could have five or six nasty days," said
Butler, who has sailed the Atlantic race route several times on his own.
He said they are likely to struggle with winds up to 20 knots and waves
up to 7 feet, making rowing virtually impossible.
Butler has consulted with Kohl and Kessans and said he is helping them
find sponsors.
The two are looking for financial assistance for what they expect will
be a $200,000 adventure. In addition to their $40,000 used rowboat,
which successfully completed another Atlantic race, they have to pay
freight to ship it to the Canary Islands, plus pay their own travel
expenses, and buy food, gear and emergency equipment.
Winning the race won't help recoup the expenses; there's no cash award,
although some sponsor-related items, such as travel, may be granted to
the winners.
Nor is fame a guarantee. Most of the rowers toil in relative obscurity,
although a British woman became famous after her husband bailed out
early in the race and she carried on alone, finishing in 111 days.
Which might raise a question: Why risk your life — or an extended bout
of seasickness — to row a tiny boat over the ocean?
Kessans wants to represent her country and take the women's record away
from New Zealand.
"You've only got one life to do this," she added.
Kohl is equally psyched up:
"I love adventure, and I love rowing. It's the best combination you can
get — two for one. ... You can achieve your dream. You just have to go
after it."
Distributed by The Associated Press
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