More than 4,000 people have climbed Everest.
More than 500 people have been into space.
Only 473 people have ever rowed an ocean.

In December 2011, two able-bodied and four injured British servicememembers will take on the high seas in a rowing boat. They will cross the Atlantic from the coast of Africa to Barbados, a journey of about 3,000 miles.

Of the 452 rowing boat crews to ever attempt this Atlantic crossing, only 284 have succeeded. They took 40 to 120 days.

The team will row self-supported, and have to alternate between long hours of on deck rowing, and brief two hour off-watch rest spells in the cabin. The tropical climactic conditions can be unpredictable and the crew must be ready for anything from torrential rain to gale force winds and blistering, windless sunshine, as well as cold nights.

Routine is critical in tackling one of the greatest challenges: psychological exhaustion. Finding the dogged determination to continue under extreme physical pain, sleep deprivation and severe weight loss can be difficult.

These are the kind of conditions facing British servicemen and women every day in intense combat zones in Afghanistan and Iraq. British servicemen and women will endure six, twelve, or even eighteen months of these constant challenges. The Row2Recovery team will endure eight weeks.

THE ROUTE

Where and When:
The Row2Recovery team will leave La Gomera on December 4th 2011 on an 8-12 week crossing to the West Indies along the fabled route taken by Christopher Columbus 520 years ago. They will take an early south-westerly heading, picking up north-east tradewinds and currents a few hundred miles out.

The Boat

A fours boat with several crossings to its name is being redesigned to carry 6, and tailored to our disabled rowers. They will be entirely self-sufficient, with solar nacelles on board to power the boat’s navigation and communications systems throughout the journey, and the critical desalinator, converting sea water into drinking water. To complete the race unsupported, the six team members must take no support or accept any items on board as soon as they are clear of the starting port.