Ever wish you could simply drop tools, pick up oars, and row away 3000 miles into the deep blue? Maybe not, but this is exactly what the Southsea Scullers are planning to do in December 2025, when they are going to attempt to row the Atlantic from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to English Harbour in Antigua, in the Caribbean.
The journey covers a distance of 3000 miles and is set to take between 30 and 40 days. In this time, the team will have to brave shark infested waters and weather unpredictable Atlantic storms and temperatures of up to 40°C, while crossing some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. Add to this the discomfort of severe dehydration, salt sores, blisters, chronic exhaustion, and even hallucinations, and you have one of the toughest athletic challenges ever devised by human beings.
The challenge is of particular interest to us at PTT because Sam Gibbons, one of the three rowers in the crew, is the son of our employee Nicole! The journey itself is likely to involve upwards of 1.5 million oar strokes, and to prepare for this, Sam will need to spend a minimum of 240 hours in the boat before the race, with a five-day course completed to ensure his safety at sea.
Coming from a sailing family that has always loved boats, the sea, and being in and around water, Sam can’t wait to get stuck into the Atlantic and raise as much money as possible for the team’s chosen charities – especially the MSA Trust. The MSA Trust was created to support people affected by MSA (Multiple System Atrophy), which is a rare and debilitating neurological disease which currently has no known cure. Sam’s uncle is affected by MSA and so he is keen to use this opportunity to raise greater awareness about the condition.
As a child, Sam also had a huge interest in explorers like Captain Kirk and Sir Francis Drake, and so is very excited to be following in their footsteps with his own unique adventure.
At PTT, we are proud to be one of the official sponsors of the Southsea Scullers team and will have our logo on the side of the rowing boat! We wish the team the very best of luck in their training for December’s race, and look forward to Nicole’s updates about how Sam’s preparations are going.
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor and would like to see your business name on the side of a boat, then let us know as soon as possible!
Image source: Canva
