World Ocean Rowing was established in February 2009 in order to provide safe and successful ocean rowing expeditions for the growing number of ocean rowing enthusiasts around the world. On March 11th 2010, we completed our company’s first ocean rowing expedition by arriving into Port St. Charles, Barbados having crossed the Atlantic from Agadir, Morocco in 57 days, 20 hours. It has given us immense satisaction to say we have the rowed the Atlantic but we have also have gotten a great kick from providing 4 other people with the means to achieve their dream.
Matt Craughwell - Skipper/Owner of Sara G
Matt Craughwell is 30 and is from Hertfordshire in England. In January 2009, Matt was part of the 14 man ‘La Mondiale’ crew that aimed to be the first crew to row the Atlantic E-W in less than 30 days - ocean rowing’s 4 minute mile. While preparing the boat for that challenge, Matt’s extensive practical skills (Matt also works as a gas boiler engineer) made him the logical choice as the boats engineer. When the boat’s rudder detached itself from the boat after 1000 miles, Matt’s practical skills were put to use as he fashioned a temporary rudder from the boat’s daggerboard allowing the boat to continue on its journey for another 24 hours. When the row was ultimately abandoned owing to the eventual failure of the temporary rudder, Matt returned home, gutted, but with the desire to row the Atlantic still burning strong. He then established World Ocean Rowing with Peter Williams in February 2010. Matt then bought ‘Sara G’ from the Australian Steven Gates and in January 2010, Matt skippered ‘Sara G’ on World Ocean Rowing’s first Atlantic crossing.
Stuart Dodwell - Crew Member for 2011 Voyage
Stuart Dodwell is 43 year old Ambulance driver from Farnborough in Hampshire. Stuart has completed several charity events recently, including, in 2009, swimming rom Ryde on the Isle of Wight across the Solent to Stokes Bay, Gosport for the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice and canoeing the entire length of the non-tidel river Thames for Chase Children’s Hospice in 2010. Stuart will fundraise for Chase Children’s Hospice again on this voyage. Stuart will bring huge enthusiasm, determination, strength and a great deal of humour onto World Ocean Rowing’s 2011 voyage.
Peter Williams - Project Management and Logistics
Peter Williams is 27 and is from Cork City in Ireland. In January 2009, Peter, like Matt, was also part of the 14 man ‘La Mondiale’ crew who attempted to break the world record for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean (E-W). Peter was 2nd in Command to Matt on the 2010 Atlantic row and played a central role in preparing the boat for the crossing. Peter’s role in the company is to project manage the expeditions ensuring the boat is as prepared as possible when it leaves port. A perfectionist, ‘leaving no stone unturned’ is part of Peter’s DNA. Testiment to this is the spares (and spares of spares) that came in quite useful during World Ocean Rowing’s 2010 Atlantic crossing. Peter is the youngest of 9 irishmen to have rowed the Atlantic.