The Golden Fleece

Daniel Innes and Robert Whitaker in Tenerife

Pete Lowe in Tenerife

(photo credit to   ©Anders Martinsen official photograper for Star Atlantic dmartins@online.no )                                    
    

      Daniel Innes(23) is a rowing coach from Clwyd and Pete Lowe (29)is a chartered surveyor in London.   Daniel was the Senior Welsh International in 1995. The Ocean Rowing Society would like to further honour the efforts of Dan ,Pete and Robert Whitaker (25); (see story below from Roberts brother Tim) with more of a website. If anyone would like to post an e-mail, photo, more biographical information or press clips send them to us at (webmaster@oceanrowing.com). Check out what we're doing on the site of the Irish Kavanagh brothers on Christina.

Date sent: Tue, 25 Nov 1997 15:45:37 -0500
From: Tim Whitaker Haworth_Scouring@compuserve.com
Subject: The Golden Fleece No.22
To: Ocean Rowing Webmaster@oceanrowing.com


    The crew of the Golden Fleece are Daniel Innes and Pete Lowe,
Robert Whitaker (my brother) was diagnosed with tendonitis in his shoulders
four days before the start of the race and took medical advice not to
participate in the race. Pete had rowed with Dan, during a year Dan had
spent at Imperial college London, and had a year previously tried and
failed to raise the money for a boat to be in the race. He was working in
London as a Chartered Surveyor when Dan rang him up three days before the
race and asked him if he would stand in as a replacement for Robert. Pete
spent a frought 24 hours thinking about it before agreeing to go. He flew
out from London and arrived in Tenerife at 7:00 am Saturday, a whole 28
hours before the race started!
     Robert was not entirely left behind as Chay Blyth agreed to allow
him to go as crew aboard 3Com the support yacht.
Dan and Pete have a satelite telephone on board and I have spoken
to them several times. The reason they are currently "disqualified" from
the race is because their battery will not hold any charge and because of
this they were not able to get much water from their desalinator. They
therefore had to ask 3Com for water.
     Last we heard from them(on Friday evening) was that the
desalinator is not working at all but they hope to ration their remaining
water so they can get to Barbados without any further assistance.
We are all very proud of their current progress, now unofficailly
11th, and all this without a rudder which broke on the third night out and
they have since discarded overboard.

Regards

Tim Whitaker

A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE SPONSORS OF

THE GOLDEN FLEECE

Kentucky Fried Chicken
Dawson International,
Duofold, Mentec, Redman Shipman,
Rhino Power,
South West Sails,
Malsis School,
Billington Sugar,
St.Mawes Sailing Club,
The Old Oundelians,
Barclays Bank,
H.Dawson,
CleggWools,
British Wool Marketing Board,
Haworth Scouring Company,
Modiano & G.Whitaker & Company.

More from Tim about the GOLDEN FLEECE:

Dear Tom,
     Our family has been involved in the wool trade for four generations
and this combined with the fact that Robert teaches Latin and ancient
history produced the name of the Boat. Yorkshire television have been
covering the preparations for the race of Dan, Robert and now Pete.
Dan and Pete have a video camera on board and have been keeping a
video diary. Robert also has a camera with him on board 3Com and has
been interviewing those rescued and also has filmed the burning of
both La Baliene and The Spirit of Spelthorne. Yorkshire Television
are sending a crew to Barbados to greet The Golden Fleece and will
be showing two half hour documentaries covering the buildup and
the race in January 1998.
Best Regards
Tim Whitaker