In January 2012, World Ocean Rowing will be running an Atlantic E-W crossing of the Atlantic. The route is Tarfaya Morocco to Port St. Charles, Barbados. The aim of this expedition is become the first crew in history to break the sub-30 day barrier; ocean rowing’s very own 4 minute mile.

The crew were selected from 9 different rounds of sea trials that began in April 2011, and we are very pleased with the team that has emerged to take to this challenge, a good bond has already formed between the crew members and all involved are now training hard to make the possible the reality!!

The crew will row in a 2hr on 2 hr off shift pattern from the second the clock starts in early January, we will need to maintain a speed average of around 3.9 knots for the whole of the expedition to achieve our aim.

This will be fueled by each man consuming between 5,000 – 6,000 kcal everyday while expending somewhere close to 12,000kcal in a 24hr period.

This task is not to be underestimated, of the countless team’s that have taken to the Atlantic trying to set the fastest time ever the sub-30 day barrier has remained elusive, the 1st team to break this barrier will achieve what has seemed for many involved as the unassailable mark in the sports history.

We have a huge range to experience from all different backgrounds in the mix for this years crew but the stand out fact for each member is the rowing history, this coupled with a strong team ethic has seen “Sara G” reach new heights in the sea trials this year……watch this space for more to come in January 2012!

Atlantic 2012 crew line up.

Matt Craughwell: Skipper Having taken to the high seas many times as skipper over past 5 years in ocean rowing boats & proving the rule “That its hard to beat someone who never gives in!” Matt has enjoyed the challenge that ocean rowing provides and has collected many Guinness World records along the way. Matt has established himself as one of the most accomplished ocean rowers of the modern era.

Ian Rowe 45 years old; married to Lisa and with 4 children, he has 30 years experience of river rowing, both sweep and sculling. He has also completed a number of running marathons plus an indoor Atlantic row on the erg. This Atlantic challenge will be the culmination of these events and the fruition of a ten year ambition to row the Atlantic; taking on the challenge in the year of the London Olympics makes it even more special.

Simon is 37 & the forth generation of his family to row for Bradford on Avon RC. He started coxing when he was 6 and took up rowing as soon as he was tall enough. A wiltshire lad through and through he make his living suppling fruit & veg to schools and caterers throughout the south west for A David & Co. Taking on the Atlantic Record in this amazing event is going to be harder than he can imagine. The hardest thing will be not seeing his wife Jo & kids Lily,Izzy & Ed.

My name is Yaacov Mutnikas and mostly I am a club level rower with occasional river racing participation. I was part of the Mid Atlantic 2008 E-W crew from Puerto Mogan to Barbados, which was abandon 1,000 miles into the row due to boat failure. This will be my second attempt and therefore I feel compelled to complete this project. Given the team being assembled with Matt Craughwell as skipper, I am looking forward to this trip.

Mark Beaumont is 29 years old, from Perthshire in Scotland and is an adventurer, documentary maker and author. In 2007/2008 Mark broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest circumnavigation by bicycle, then in 2009/2010 he then went on to cycle from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, also climbing the highest peaks in North and South America. In 2011 Mark was part of the six man team who rowed through the Canadian Arctic to the 1996 location of the North Magnetic Pole. Rowing the Atlantic has been a dream of Marks for many years.

Aodhán is the youngest in the crew at 26 yr’s old. He is from Dublin but is now living in Reading. He works in digital humanities publishing in Marlborough. Aodhán has been rowing since the aged 10 and won several Irish National Championships for Neptune RC as well as representing Ireland at junior and under-23 world championship levels. He is currently a member of Reading Rowing Club and competed for them in 2011 at Henley Royal Regatta. It’s been a 6 year long ambition of his to take on the Atlantic and he’s looking forward to chasing the record.