JAN 14. 2009
Website is up & running
Some crew are selected
Chosen designer
Build site organized
Actively recruiting crew
Informed New York Times & Soundings of our intentions.
JAN 15. 2009
Press release of the Maritime Coastguard Agency :
OCEAN ROWERS HAVE TO ABORT RECORD ATTEMPT
The Coastguard received a call this morning at 10.21am informing them that the rowboat La Mondiale had lost its rudder after hitting
a submerged object 280 miles North West of Cape Verde, a temporary rudder had been rigged up but had now failed them
EVERYONE IS SAFE.
JAN 19 2009
The crew of La Mondiale have been picked up by the bulk carrier Island ranger its Ukrainian crew and safely on their way to Italy .
We read an article in the Irish Examiner that La Mondaile was abandoned and will hopefully be salvaged by some of the crew that
rowed successfully across the Atlantic in 2007, which will be interesting , we would of course be remiss in not appreciating that this
was reported by the press and was a "crew quote" therefore only when the expeditions website posts a report can we consider
anything as fact. It is sad to think of La Mondiale as a worthy and famous boat having to be left to her own devices. We sent email
messages of condolences to skipper Leven Brown and the land based HQ
ROC EXPEDITION Website LIVE.
JAN 26 2009
Sig has assumed the position of coach .
La Mondiale's crew are home safe and sound whilst Leven is obviously working on the salvage of the boat .
Organised with Tatiana of the Ocean rowing Society for details of our expedition to be posted on their site www.oceanrowing.com
This weekend is earmarked for setting up the build site for Big Blue.
Selection of 18 .........12 crew and 6 subs in early April (tba)
It's growing!
JAN 29 2009
We spoke with Leven (skipper of La Mondiale ) who doubts that La Mondiale will be salvageable and have read newspaper reports that
he will be back to try again .
Katadyn water makers supporters of last years expedition are officially back on board and supporting Big Blue and crew ,we used
Katadyn water makers on Orca last year which performed flawlessly, as water making ability is the most important technical aspect
we consider this a huge step in the right direction.
The delay in being posted on the ORS website is due to Tatiana having recently returned from Gran Canaria where she was assisting
ocean rower Victor Gavrishev.
FEB 02 2009
Travl Tips come on board as associate sponsors ,we thank them for their support of last year and their renewed backing of Big Blue
and crew.
Four additional crew have been invited for selection in April.
Our gallery has been completed showing various ocean rowing vessels of the past Orca and La Mondiale first and second.
This page will change as we progress we anticipate the next notable event will be the selection weekend in April.
Our best wishes go to Ollie Hicks who sponsored by Richard Branson's Virgin, left Tasmania recently to row around the bottom of the
world ....Antarctica brrrr!
At the risk of being rude it is the "bottom" of the world ,monster waves ,freezing temps , icebergs and just about everything else that
makes for a miserable row.
The exception may be the scenery.
Interested followers have no real chance of missing this epic voyage as it is estimated it will take Ollie two years to complete the
circumnavigation, upon completion he will become the first to row around the world.
Details and links provided by the ever supportive Ocean Rowing Society of London
FEB 03 2009
According to ocean row events website Leven explains that La Mondiale suffered "catastrophic damage" and is now "history".
Indeed a sad end to an illustrious career . RIP La Mondiale .
As in sailing it is apparent that the big multi hull row boat will fill the void ,especially interesting will be the designs that appear.
If only we could read the mind of Leven Brown ,the World Record is not one he'll give up easily .
While were here , there is continued reference to "the" La Mondiale as there has been "the" Orca "the" Big Blue.
La is the French word for 'the' ,and simply Orca is Orca , Big Blue is Big Blue.
(the devils in the detail).
It is with great pleasure to announce that we have become
"Champions" of the Blue Project an environmental non profit
organisation whose sole concern is the protection of the
World's oceans ,please check out their
website www.theblueproject.org.
FEB 10 2009
This week and the tail end of last has been a meeting of all the various facets of our expedition in particular crew applications and
film .
It's always good to see the fruits of ones labor growing ,trying to keep up is another story.
The crew applications have been of a quality we never imagined possible .
We were not aware that individuals such as we have seen could accomplish so much in a period of thirty years as being our average
age of those that have requested to attend our selection weekend .It came as no big surprise to find that achievers have 'full diaries'
which has caused us to plan our second selection weekend ,therefore in addition to the 4th 5th of April we are also selecting on the
11th 12th .
It's become obvious that our selection process will focus mainly on finding the 'team players' ,physical fitness is pretty much a
foregone conclusion most candidates would probably class a row across the Atlantic as a warm up to something bigger ...like what?.
We got the 'athletic engines' we wanted and we still have space for even more man power....nice!
FEB 16 2009
The applications are rolling in now ,we are averaging three per day and from all over the World , USA , CANADA, CHILE, SERBIA,
GIBRALTAR, UK, AUSTRIA, SWEDEN.
Choice of those that have applied only one has been obviously unsuitable , therefore making our choice for those we would like to
attend our selection weekend extremely difficult and time consuming . Our apologies to those that have applied and are waiting for a
response we are attending to all applications with due care and respect and will reply to all within the week.
FEB 17 2009
We have secured a film production company based on Long Island .
First step is to produce a sample for mainstream networks then filming the selection in April the building of Big Blue
and continuing with the voyage across the Atlantic ,essentially producing a visual record covering all aspects of this
World record expedition.
MARCH 18 2009
Apologies for the lack of information ,most of our time recently has been spent handling the unforeseen administration of fifty two
applicants all of which were of extremely high quality consequently making our task of choosing eighteen for selection that much
more intense ,with three more to confirm we are close to our goal.
Thank you to all that applied ,your applications were read carefully and with respect of the time many of you obviously took to inform
us in detail of your experience and abilities.
Film production is now the hot topic and how best to capture the events of the selection weekend which promises to be tough but fun.
Only today did we discover that we may have some competition in the form of an Irish/ British crew of eight and with no surprise
Leven Brown is involved as the advisor of the expedition ,we also read that they are hesitant to label their expedition as a World
Record Attempt which of course we understand as Big Blue is not a boat that one would take on lightly ! However we will carry on
regardless in bettering the existing record and overhauling anything that gets in our way .
Looking forward to the selection weekend and meeting our potential crew who apart from the yanks will be travelling from UK Chile
Austria Canada and Gibraltar ,on that note
Big Blue will be correctly termed as an 'American boat with International crew'.
APRIL 8 2009
SELECTION WEEKEND
Our selection weekend has been curiously described by most as "great fun" as time went by we began to understand that we should
perhaps take some credit with regard our obvious ability to choose wisely.
Friday 6pm should have marked the start of our weekend commencing with the briefing ,however due to airlines being unable to find
NY in the fog a number of delays were experienced by our crew and of course the usual loss of baggage ,which was driven two hours
from JFK airport to Shelter Island .
Next time you question the cost of your flight keep in mind that due to mismanagement and apparent lack of navigational aids,
airlines incur massive delivery costs!
Safest form of transportation ,Yes, efficient they are not .
The Vikings found ports all over the Northern hemisphere with pin point accuracy granted to the detriment of many a fair maiden ,
with nothing more than a needle probably a blind seagull nailed to the mast and arrived avec baggage which included more than a
few herbivores.
Perhaps if our modern day pilots were encouraged by the prospect of a few days R&R involving a hefty dose of rape and pillage upon a
timely arrival they would be less inclined to "cool the jets". Naturally the tone of chastisement does not extend to 'Splashdown Sully" ,
now there's a man who knows where hes going.
At 8.30 our briefing commenced ,during which time ocean rowing was discussed in general ,our boat Big Blue and what we would
be attempting to ascertain in terms of general fitness, attitude and compatibility with each other .
Friday PM the crew built two shelters of wood and tarpaulins strong enough to last until the completion of the weekend (Monday
morning) as the crew worked in the dark the enthusiasm and general willingness was immediately apparent ,after difficult and tiring
transits experienced by many from far away places such as Chile ,UK,Gib,Canada and in appreciating many an American mile was
logged , we decided to stick to our plan of allowing a full nights sleep .
Sat am breakfast and a warm up before physical testing which proved as telling as it did futile ,as predicted .
Sea Kayaking was deemed to be the best and most effective mode in establishing affinity with the water and observing how
individuals worked within a team on the water.
The day started gently and much to the visible annoyance of the "go fast merchants" which of course was noted .
We then headed away from the shelter of the creeks to sea and in to some weather accompanied by two safety boats ,we experienced
all the points of wind direction allowing our fresh water rowers an insight as to how important weather is and the affects of the same,
especially as we crossed a four foot beam sea towards the end of the day that all crew thoroughly enjoyed to the extent it truly amazed
those that were directing the exercise .
Trust , ability to adapt and confront were confirmed.
Sat Midnight ,night exercises began in two hour watch periods , kayaking under the stars of a moonlit night and again far from being
an inconvenience or struggle for the crew it was met with enthusiasm and in a manner that astounded us . Both watches had
obviously previously discussed the plan of execution led by two ex military personnel and with obvious military precision, to the
extent that our plan and less than pleasant method of very rudely awakening the crew 10 mins before their watch was foiled at every
turn as we were met by the appropriate watch assembled kitted out and eager to go .
This was looking far too easy ...kayaking was halted in favour of jogging for the last period of the watch ,again met with a "can do"
attitude in fact most considered it pleasant as their lower bodies which had been comparatively dormant and cold in a kayak were
warmed by the run.
Sun AM, breakfast of bacon and eggs all cooked over an open fire started the day followed by a warm up for a three mile run , again
effortless and one that could have been easily repeated by all with the exception of one who was previously the victim of a sizable
splinter in the foot ,not a problem the "can do" attitude further exemplified as our on board Doctor and para medic performed some
minor surgery .
Sun noon ,during a short chat some crew foolishly expressed their opinion that the selection was easier than anticipated ,we
answered that concern 'on the fly' with both teams dragging a manned kayak a considerable distance in a competitive race ,lower
body power was evident in the fresh water rowers as they experienced a short sharp physical lesson and a realistic definition of drag
and again to no real advantage in determining who was physically able.
Sunday afternoon was a an opportunity to have some fun with of course a hidden agenda .
The crew were given assorted junk including a boat of questionable condition a pair of oars ,rope , two kayaks and two hours to
complete the build then head for a distant point of land.
The finished item left a lot to be desired although it did appear seaworthy .An intrepid six ventured on to the high seas with the
remainder left ashore as spectators of this amusing spectacle ,secretly hoping they had forgotten the drain plug an oar would break ,
mutiny ,,,,anything that would provide us with some entertainment ,as usual the crew displayed a perfect understanding of wind
powerful rowing and with the two kayakers towing the creation in to the wind with ease .
On reaching land within sight of us all , they turned with the wind hoisted a make shift sail and ran with the wind to return within
ten feet from the point of departure.
At which point the physical selection was over .
Sun 5pm -7.30 the crew relaxed beside a chicken BBQ and some well earned cocktails.
Sun 8pm Interviews commenced and were complete half an hour later than scheduled shortly after midnight.
Mon 4.30 AM an early rise to taxi some crew to the ferry as they started their journey home tired but in good spirits
The weekend was nearing an end and was generally agreed that no matter what was asked of this group it would be carried out with
all the attributes of character that we had intended to extract as being conducive to an effective record breaking crew .
All tasks without exception were carried out with quiet purposeful intent and with good grace.
It was never intended that the selection would be based on physical fitness ,a few were eager to display their individual prowess then
quickly realising our intention was to form a TEAM that understood ocean rowing is an endurance event that requires unified
effectiveness which eventually demands that the mind plays the most important role.
It's not about competition it is about understanding that we all bring varying levels of expertise knowledge and ability that when
combined will form a well balanced 'rowing machine' which when complemented by the most efficient and fastest ocean rowing boat
of all time will result in success.
Unfortunately we cannot choose all that attended as crew ,not only has the process of selection been difficult it is emotionally
draining ,anybody with an ounce of compassion would feel for those not selected as each individual gave their very best and we
appreciate their effort . Non selection will be as a result of what has become complicated criteria and does not indicate failure in any
way, the quality /calibre of our group was exceptional by any standard ,consequentially it has demanded of us that we dig deep and
consider the smallest detail which will have taken over a week by the time we make our crew list public as opposed to the 48 hours
we envisaged .
Thank you to all that attended ,a very special crew that will achieve our goal of a World Record.
Considering the three elements of ocean rowing , Crew , Boat and Weather ,The construction of Big Blue is next ....... naturally with
the offer of help from our "can do" crew, simultaneously our coach will tailor training programmes for our crew to follow over the
coming months of preparation.
We achieved our aim , I'm confident we will be able to repeat that statement in Barbados.
Encore ! and a World Record.........your bets gentlemen please
FOR PHOTOS PLEASE GO TO GALLERY PAGE AND SHORT FILM OF THE ENTIRE WEEKEND
WILL BE SHOWN ON THE WEBSITE IN THE COMING WEEKS.
September 8 2009
The first hull of Big Blue is almost complete awaiting fiberglass and painting .
The first hull took significantly longer than the second will take as we cut the frames for the second hull at the same time as the first , over the past
few weeks Hyro our star boat building apprentice during quieter moments made the composite sheets for hull two.
As was expected we experienced a couple of crew deciding not to continue for various reasons ,they have since been replaced by Naomi and
Charlie which means we have again a full complement of twelve rowers ,who are training under the supervision of the training committee headed by
The Master and Commander David Hosking.
ROCEXPEDITION have been invited by the Association of Ocean Rowers to play a more active role in the formulation of a curriculum of training to
be adopted by aspiring ocean rowers and one acceptable to the authorities of various countries in order that we may prevent inexperience from
damaging our sport.
Ocean rowing started before the days of modern communication which may have given rise to more considered thought prior to taking on the
dangers of the Worlds oceans.
There seems to be a general consensus amongst more experienced rowers/seafarers that the time has come, not to deter but to provide
meaningful training specific to ocean rowing ,as such we welcome the opportunity of assisting in the promotion of ocean rowing as a sport enjoyed
by sensible individuals who understand the oceans have to be respected and should not be challenged without imparted knowledge and training
where required.
RYA qualifications whilst helpful are not tailored to deal with the differences between sailng and rowing , our stand and opinion is that a specific
ocean rowing certification should be attained by following a more specific curriculum pertaining to ocean rowing.
January 25 2010
ROC EXPEDITION & OCEAN ROW EVENTS have officially joined forces in launching The Ocean Rowing World Cup and will be inviting Skippers
and crews to race the new Expedition 40 trimaran the prototype of which is currently under construction. Understanding the superior design of the
Expedition 40 is to understand that it is essentially a big Orca (Expedition 30) .
Orca crewed by four in 2007 performed extremely well but lacked the man power to maintain her high speed, the Expedition 40 apart from
increased waterline length will be crewed by six ,equating to an extra rower on deck providing more power to a boat with only ten feet of additional
material in comparison to Orca .
A true comparison and to appreciate the speed of the Expedition multi hulls is to consider that in 2007 the Atlantic rowing race was under way at
the same time Orca raced La Mondiale.
The winning boat of the race Pura Vida a 30 foot mono hull crewed by four, the same length and amount of crew as Orca finished eleven days
behind Orca, not to mention the four days Orca spent on a sea anchor.
The Expedition 40 will leave the ROC stable May 1 and be transported to the UK for her maiden voyage and record attempt around UK and with
pride on our part represent the “one design“ which will be raced by certified International crews and professional skippers in subsequent World Cup
races across the Atlantic ,the second scheduled for Nov 2012 .
Back to the present ,the second hull of Big Blue (Expedition 40 catamaran) is now complete .
The build of Big Blue is on temporary hold, making way for the prototype Expedition 40 and will resume May 1 for the further three months needed
to complete the centre pod and cross beams in time for summer training , fitting out will take place Oct/Nov, transportation mid Nov.
Crew . Due to a necessary and fortunate change of plan, we unfortunately lost some crew who have since been replaced by equally capable
people.
We now have eleven rowers with no shortage of hopefuls for the last position (12) later next month will see that position filled which were hoping
will represent the finality of the recruitment process .
Skippers Roy Finlay of Big Blue and Leven Brown of La Mondiale II were challenged to race against Britannia III 2010 /2011 which has been
declined by both with respect .
Website is up & running
Some crew are selected
Chosen designer
Build site organized
Actively recruiting crew
Informed New York Times & Soundings of our intentions.
JAN 15. 2009
Press release of the Maritime Coastguard Agency :
OCEAN ROWERS HAVE TO ABORT RECORD ATTEMPT
The Coastguard received a call this morning at 10.21am informing them that the rowboat La Mondiale had lost its rudder after hitting
a submerged object 280 miles North West of Cape Verde, a temporary rudder had been rigged up but had now failed them
EVERYONE IS SAFE.
JAN 19 2009
The crew of La Mondiale have been picked up by the bulk carrier Island ranger its Ukrainian crew and safely on their way to Italy .
We read an article in the Irish Examiner that La Mondaile was abandoned and will hopefully be salvaged by some of the crew that
rowed successfully across the Atlantic in 2007, which will be interesting , we would of course be remiss in not appreciating that this
was reported by the press and was a "crew quote" therefore only when the expeditions website posts a report can we consider
anything as fact. It is sad to think of La Mondiale as a worthy and famous boat having to be left to her own devices. We sent email
messages of condolences to skipper Leven Brown and the land based HQ
ROC EXPEDITION Website LIVE.
JAN 26 2009
Sig has assumed the position of coach .
La Mondiale's crew are home safe and sound whilst Leven is obviously working on the salvage of the boat .
Organised with Tatiana of the Ocean rowing Society for details of our expedition to be posted on their site www.oceanrowing.com
This weekend is earmarked for setting up the build site for Big Blue.
Selection of 18 .........12 crew and 6 subs in early April (tba)
It's growing!
JAN 29 2009
We spoke with Leven (skipper of La Mondiale ) who doubts that La Mondiale will be salvageable and have read newspaper reports that
he will be back to try again .
Katadyn water makers supporters of last years expedition are officially back on board and supporting Big Blue and crew ,we used
Katadyn water makers on Orca last year which performed flawlessly, as water making ability is the most important technical aspect
we consider this a huge step in the right direction.
The delay in being posted on the ORS website is due to Tatiana having recently returned from Gran Canaria where she was assisting
ocean rower Victor Gavrishev.
FEB 02 2009
Travl Tips come on board as associate sponsors ,we thank them for their support of last year and their renewed backing of Big Blue
and crew.
Four additional crew have been invited for selection in April.
Our gallery has been completed showing various ocean rowing vessels of the past Orca and La Mondiale first and second.
This page will change as we progress we anticipate the next notable event will be the selection weekend in April.
Our best wishes go to Ollie Hicks who sponsored by Richard Branson's Virgin, left Tasmania recently to row around the bottom of the
world ....Antarctica brrrr!
At the risk of being rude it is the "bottom" of the world ,monster waves ,freezing temps , icebergs and just about everything else that
makes for a miserable row.
The exception may be the scenery.
Interested followers have no real chance of missing this epic voyage as it is estimated it will take Ollie two years to complete the
circumnavigation, upon completion he will become the first to row around the world.
Details and links provided by the ever supportive Ocean Rowing Society of London
FEB 03 2009
According to ocean row events website Leven explains that La Mondiale suffered "catastrophic damage" and is now "history".
Indeed a sad end to an illustrious career . RIP La Mondiale .
As in sailing it is apparent that the big multi hull row boat will fill the void ,especially interesting will be the designs that appear.
If only we could read the mind of Leven Brown ,the World Record is not one he'll give up easily .
While were here , there is continued reference to "the" La Mondiale as there has been "the" Orca "the" Big Blue.
La is the French word for 'the' ,and simply Orca is Orca , Big Blue is Big Blue.
(the devils in the detail).
It is with great pleasure to announce that we have become
"Champions" of the Blue Project an environmental non profit
organisation whose sole concern is the protection of the
World's oceans ,please check out their
website www.theblueproject.org.
FEB 10 2009
This week and the tail end of last has been a meeting of all the various facets of our expedition in particular crew applications and
film .
It's always good to see the fruits of ones labor growing ,trying to keep up is another story.
The crew applications have been of a quality we never imagined possible .
We were not aware that individuals such as we have seen could accomplish so much in a period of thirty years as being our average
age of those that have requested to attend our selection weekend .It came as no big surprise to find that achievers have 'full diaries'
which has caused us to plan our second selection weekend ,therefore in addition to the 4th 5th of April we are also selecting on the
11th 12th .
It's become obvious that our selection process will focus mainly on finding the 'team players' ,physical fitness is pretty much a
foregone conclusion most candidates would probably class a row across the Atlantic as a warm up to something bigger ...like what?.
We got the 'athletic engines' we wanted and we still have space for even more man power....nice!
FEB 16 2009
The applications are rolling in now ,we are averaging three per day and from all over the World , USA , CANADA, CHILE, SERBIA,
GIBRALTAR, UK, AUSTRIA, SWEDEN.
Choice of those that have applied only one has been obviously unsuitable , therefore making our choice for those we would like to
attend our selection weekend extremely difficult and time consuming . Our apologies to those that have applied and are waiting for a
response we are attending to all applications with due care and respect and will reply to all within the week.
FEB 17 2009
We have secured a film production company based on Long Island .
First step is to produce a sample for mainstream networks then filming the selection in April the building of Big Blue
and continuing with the voyage across the Atlantic ,essentially producing a visual record covering all aspects of this
World record expedition.
MARCH 18 2009
Apologies for the lack of information ,most of our time recently has been spent handling the unforeseen administration of fifty two
applicants all of which were of extremely high quality consequently making our task of choosing eighteen for selection that much
more intense ,with three more to confirm we are close to our goal.
Thank you to all that applied ,your applications were read carefully and with respect of the time many of you obviously took to inform
us in detail of your experience and abilities.
Film production is now the hot topic and how best to capture the events of the selection weekend which promises to be tough but fun.
Only today did we discover that we may have some competition in the form of an Irish/ British crew of eight and with no surprise
Leven Brown is involved as the advisor of the expedition ,we also read that they are hesitant to label their expedition as a World
Record Attempt which of course we understand as Big Blue is not a boat that one would take on lightly ! However we will carry on
regardless in bettering the existing record and overhauling anything that gets in our way .
Looking forward to the selection weekend and meeting our potential crew who apart from the yanks will be travelling from UK Chile
Austria Canada and Gibraltar ,on that note
Big Blue will be correctly termed as an 'American boat with International crew'.
APRIL 8 2009
SELECTION WEEKEND
Our selection weekend has been curiously described by most as "great fun" as time went by we began to understand that we should
perhaps take some credit with regard our obvious ability to choose wisely.
Friday 6pm should have marked the start of our weekend commencing with the briefing ,however due to airlines being unable to find
NY in the fog a number of delays were experienced by our crew and of course the usual loss of baggage ,which was driven two hours
from JFK airport to Shelter Island .
Next time you question the cost of your flight keep in mind that due to mismanagement and apparent lack of navigational aids,
airlines incur massive delivery costs!
Safest form of transportation ,Yes, efficient they are not .
The Vikings found ports all over the Northern hemisphere with pin point accuracy granted to the detriment of many a fair maiden ,
with nothing more than a needle probably a blind seagull nailed to the mast and arrived avec baggage which included more than a
few herbivores.
Perhaps if our modern day pilots were encouraged by the prospect of a few days R&R involving a hefty dose of rape and pillage upon a
timely arrival they would be less inclined to "cool the jets". Naturally the tone of chastisement does not extend to 'Splashdown Sully" ,
now there's a man who knows where hes going.
At 8.30 our briefing commenced ,during which time ocean rowing was discussed in general ,our boat Big Blue and what we would
be attempting to ascertain in terms of general fitness, attitude and compatibility with each other .
Friday PM the crew built two shelters of wood and tarpaulins strong enough to last until the completion of the weekend (Monday
morning) as the crew worked in the dark the enthusiasm and general willingness was immediately apparent ,after difficult and tiring
transits experienced by many from far away places such as Chile ,UK,Gib,Canada and in appreciating many an American mile was
logged , we decided to stick to our plan of allowing a full nights sleep .
Sat am breakfast and a warm up before physical testing which proved as telling as it did futile ,as predicted .
Sea Kayaking was deemed to be the best and most effective mode in establishing affinity with the water and observing how
individuals worked within a team on the water.
The day started gently and much to the visible annoyance of the "go fast merchants" which of course was noted .
We then headed away from the shelter of the creeks to sea and in to some weather accompanied by two safety boats ,we experienced
all the points of wind direction allowing our fresh water rowers an insight as to how important weather is and the affects of the same,
especially as we crossed a four foot beam sea towards the end of the day that all crew thoroughly enjoyed to the extent it truly amazed
those that were directing the exercise .
Trust , ability to adapt and confront were confirmed.
Sat Midnight ,night exercises began in two hour watch periods , kayaking under the stars of a moonlit night and again far from being
an inconvenience or struggle for the crew it was met with enthusiasm and in a manner that astounded us . Both watches had
obviously previously discussed the plan of execution led by two ex military personnel and with obvious military precision, to the
extent that our plan and less than pleasant method of very rudely awakening the crew 10 mins before their watch was foiled at every
turn as we were met by the appropriate watch assembled kitted out and eager to go .
This was looking far too easy ...kayaking was halted in favour of jogging for the last period of the watch ,again met with a "can do"
attitude in fact most considered it pleasant as their lower bodies which had been comparatively dormant and cold in a kayak were
warmed by the run.
Sun AM, breakfast of bacon and eggs all cooked over an open fire started the day followed by a warm up for a three mile run , again
effortless and one that could have been easily repeated by all with the exception of one who was previously the victim of a sizable
splinter in the foot ,not a problem the "can do" attitude further exemplified as our on board Doctor and para medic performed some
minor surgery .
Sun noon ,during a short chat some crew foolishly expressed their opinion that the selection was easier than anticipated ,we
answered that concern 'on the fly' with both teams dragging a manned kayak a considerable distance in a competitive race ,lower
body power was evident in the fresh water rowers as they experienced a short sharp physical lesson and a realistic definition of drag
and again to no real advantage in determining who was physically able.
Sunday afternoon was a an opportunity to have some fun with of course a hidden agenda .
The crew were given assorted junk including a boat of questionable condition a pair of oars ,rope , two kayaks and two hours to
complete the build then head for a distant point of land.
The finished item left a lot to be desired although it did appear seaworthy .An intrepid six ventured on to the high seas with the
remainder left ashore as spectators of this amusing spectacle ,secretly hoping they had forgotten the drain plug an oar would break ,
mutiny ,,,,anything that would provide us with some entertainment ,as usual the crew displayed a perfect understanding of wind
powerful rowing and with the two kayakers towing the creation in to the wind with ease .
On reaching land within sight of us all , they turned with the wind hoisted a make shift sail and ran with the wind to return within
ten feet from the point of departure.
At which point the physical selection was over .
Sun 5pm -7.30 the crew relaxed beside a chicken BBQ and some well earned cocktails.
Sun 8pm Interviews commenced and were complete half an hour later than scheduled shortly after midnight.
Mon 4.30 AM an early rise to taxi some crew to the ferry as they started their journey home tired but in good spirits
The weekend was nearing an end and was generally agreed that no matter what was asked of this group it would be carried out with
all the attributes of character that we had intended to extract as being conducive to an effective record breaking crew .
All tasks without exception were carried out with quiet purposeful intent and with good grace.
It was never intended that the selection would be based on physical fitness ,a few were eager to display their individual prowess then
quickly realising our intention was to form a TEAM that understood ocean rowing is an endurance event that requires unified
effectiveness which eventually demands that the mind plays the most important role.
It's not about competition it is about understanding that we all bring varying levels of expertise knowledge and ability that when
combined will form a well balanced 'rowing machine' which when complemented by the most efficient and fastest ocean rowing boat
of all time will result in success.
Unfortunately we cannot choose all that attended as crew ,not only has the process of selection been difficult it is emotionally
draining ,anybody with an ounce of compassion would feel for those not selected as each individual gave their very best and we
appreciate their effort . Non selection will be as a result of what has become complicated criteria and does not indicate failure in any
way, the quality /calibre of our group was exceptional by any standard ,consequentially it has demanded of us that we dig deep and
consider the smallest detail which will have taken over a week by the time we make our crew list public as opposed to the 48 hours
we envisaged .
Thank you to all that attended ,a very special crew that will achieve our goal of a World Record.
Considering the three elements of ocean rowing , Crew , Boat and Weather ,The construction of Big Blue is next ....... naturally with
the offer of help from our "can do" crew, simultaneously our coach will tailor training programmes for our crew to follow over the
coming months of preparation.
We achieved our aim , I'm confident we will be able to repeat that statement in Barbados.
Encore ! and a World Record.........your bets gentlemen please
FOR PHOTOS PLEASE GO TO GALLERY PAGE AND SHORT FILM OF THE ENTIRE WEEKEND
WILL BE SHOWN ON THE WEBSITE IN THE COMING WEEKS.
September 8 2009
The first hull of Big Blue is almost complete awaiting fiberglass and painting .
The first hull took significantly longer than the second will take as we cut the frames for the second hull at the same time as the first , over the past
few weeks Hyro our star boat building apprentice during quieter moments made the composite sheets for hull two.
As was expected we experienced a couple of crew deciding not to continue for various reasons ,they have since been replaced by Naomi and
Charlie which means we have again a full complement of twelve rowers ,who are training under the supervision of the training committee headed by
The Master and Commander David Hosking.
ROCEXPEDITION have been invited by the Association of Ocean Rowers to play a more active role in the formulation of a curriculum of training to
be adopted by aspiring ocean rowers and one acceptable to the authorities of various countries in order that we may prevent inexperience from
damaging our sport.
Ocean rowing started before the days of modern communication which may have given rise to more considered thought prior to taking on the
dangers of the Worlds oceans.
There seems to be a general consensus amongst more experienced rowers/seafarers that the time has come, not to deter but to provide
meaningful training specific to ocean rowing ,as such we welcome the opportunity of assisting in the promotion of ocean rowing as a sport enjoyed
by sensible individuals who understand the oceans have to be respected and should not be challenged without imparted knowledge and training
where required.
RYA qualifications whilst helpful are not tailored to deal with the differences between sailng and rowing , our stand and opinion is that a specific
ocean rowing certification should be attained by following a more specific curriculum pertaining to ocean rowing.
January 25 2010
ROC EXPEDITION & OCEAN ROW EVENTS have officially joined forces in launching The Ocean Rowing World Cup and will be inviting Skippers
and crews to race the new Expedition 40 trimaran the prototype of which is currently under construction. Understanding the superior design of the
Expedition 40 is to understand that it is essentially a big Orca (Expedition 30) .
Orca crewed by four in 2007 performed extremely well but lacked the man power to maintain her high speed, the Expedition 40 apart from
increased waterline length will be crewed by six ,equating to an extra rower on deck providing more power to a boat with only ten feet of additional
material in comparison to Orca .
A true comparison and to appreciate the speed of the Expedition multi hulls is to consider that in 2007 the Atlantic rowing race was under way at
the same time Orca raced La Mondiale.
The winning boat of the race Pura Vida a 30 foot mono hull crewed by four, the same length and amount of crew as Orca finished eleven days
behind Orca, not to mention the four days Orca spent on a sea anchor.
The Expedition 40 will leave the ROC stable May 1 and be transported to the UK for her maiden voyage and record attempt around UK and with
pride on our part represent the “one design“ which will be raced by certified International crews and professional skippers in subsequent World Cup
races across the Atlantic ,the second scheduled for Nov 2012 .
Back to the present ,the second hull of Big Blue (Expedition 40 catamaran) is now complete .
The build of Big Blue is on temporary hold, making way for the prototype Expedition 40 and will resume May 1 for the further three months needed
to complete the centre pod and cross beams in time for summer training , fitting out will take place Oct/Nov, transportation mid Nov.
Crew . Due to a necessary and fortunate change of plan, we unfortunately lost some crew who have since been replaced by equally capable
people.
We now have eleven rowers with no shortage of hopefuls for the last position (12) later next month will see that position filled which were hoping
will represent the finality of the recruitment process .
Skippers Roy Finlay of Big Blue and Leven Brown of La Mondiale II were challenged to race against Britannia III 2010 /2011 which has been
declined by both with respect .
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| ~ G l o b a l L a n d & S e a E x p e d i t i o n s ~ |
