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Devon based Woodvale Events,
organisers of a series of unique nautical races, became the focus of
national headlines on Monday when the identity of the celebrity
sportsman competing in the Atlantic Rowing Race 2005 with BBC One
Presenter Ben Fogle, was finally
revealed.
Double Olympic Gold medal rower James
Cracknell has now officially announced his participation
in the Atlantic Rowing race 2005, which will start from La Gomera,
Canary Islands on Sunday 27th November 2005. James will be rowing
with BBC One presenter and star of reality TV programme "Castaway",
Ben Fogle. Ben had already made public his intention to compete in
the Atlantic Rowing Race 2005: the ultimate in rowing races and one
of the toughest endurance events available today.
James and Ben will compete on equal terms against 27 other teams, a
fleet of ordinary people from various different backgrounds,
countries and of all different ages all aiming to win the Race and
achieve something totally extraordinary. |
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The Atlantic Rowing Race
2005 will be the fourth edition of the event, and will include three
classes for single handed rowers, teams of two and teams of four.
The challenge is expected to take teams and average of 55 days to
complete, although the current record for a race entry stands at 40
days. During this time, teams live onboard their ocean rowing boats,
surviving on ration pack food and water produced using a water
desalinator (a unit that turns salt water into drinking water). The
boat is rowed 24 hours a day, with the competitors taking it in turn
to row, sleep and eat to keep the boat moving in the direction of
the finish. The teams will battle ever changing weather conditions,
switching from sunshine to storms, big sea states and heavy rain.
Teresa Page, General Manager of Woodvale Events says:
"To have a professional Olympic rower of the calibre of James
Cracknell take part in this event is absolutely fantastic and will
assist grateful with the acceptance and promotion of Ocean Rowing
within the flat water rowing world.
With the rowing experience and race competitiveness that James
naturally possess, we anticipate team Fogle and Cracknell will be an
extremely strong team and in with a good chance of winning the
race".
Ben visited the Woodvale Events office, situated on the edge of
Dartmoor, on Tuesday afternoon to meet with the team and get some
advice from the experienced staff at the company. The boat to be
used by Ben and James is currently being fitted out by an Exmouth
based team of boat building, and was constructed in Woodvale Events
very own boat shed in South Brent, Devon. Their 23ft Woodvale Pairs
boat is a unique design of Ocean Rowing boat and will be used by
competitors in the Atlantic Rowing Race 2005, and the Indian Ocean
Rowing Race 2009. It was build by the same build team behind the
record breaking Woodvale Fours boat used by the Vivaldi Four in
their recent row across the Atlantic. |
