The Team This Way Up rowing crew, which is currently contesting the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge this month with support from MotorSport Vision (MSV), began its ocean crossing impressively this week.
After setting out from La Gomera in the Canary Island just after midday on Monday, the four-strong crew of Edward Ogden, Oliver Browne, James Peet and Jos Pape made immediate progress. The Team This Way Up team left the shore about an hour after the first boat started, with each crew leaving at 2.5-minute intervals.
Their boat was the fastest boat in the race so far as of Tuesday evening (UK time), with the crew finding themselves as the most southerly in the race on their route towards Nelson's Dockyard English Harbour in Antigua and Barbuda.
With winds starting to come round towards the north-east, the MSV-backed boat is now aiming to make significant westward gains. The main opposition boats are heading in a south-westerly direction, somewhere over 20 nautical miles to the north-west. They've been rowing into headwinds for much of the race so far, and with temperatures expected to rise to 30°C managing the workload of each individual will be crucial.
The crew launched into the race after an intense final two weeks of preparation, inspections and briefings to ensure they were fully prepared for life on the open ocean.
MSV is pleased to be supporting Team This Way Up in this contest, billed as the world's toughest row. The team aims to raise £250,000 for charity and you can find out more about their progress through their official Facebook page.