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Let’s
not forget the Atlantic Challenge is a race, but Sally and Marcus,
despite being a competitive couple, are concentrating on finishing
rather than winning.
"There’s only two women in this race", explains Sally, "and
there’s only been 13 women ever to row an ocean, so we’re at an
immediate physical disadvantage. But, having said that, it’s so
much to do with luck and weather and choosing the right course.
And who knows, we cold finish top 10".
Sticking to your routes
This passage chosen by Business Challenge will provide the competitors
with the best possible conditions.
The route will make the most of the predominantly south westerly
flowing current from the Canaries to South America as well as taking
advantage of the surface current created by the favourable prevailing
wind. The race window will also avoid the hurricane season in the
Caribbean.
It’s also about choosing a good system whilst at sea, and after
lots of advice, they think they have the answer. "We’re hoping to
do two hours on (rowing), two hours off.
"We’ve had lots of differing advice from lots of different
rowers, we’ve met quite a few of them now. We felt we would start
off on a two hour cycle with four hours at night for extra sleep
and then work from that. When you’re in the swell, It’s very different
from say the Channel where it’s very choppy and you can see the
waves, you’re going to be bouncing up and down like a rollercoaster
really."
The pair also have the extra difficulty because of Marcus’s epilepsy.
"He feels worse, or is more susceptible to seizures, if he’s
tired, stressed, hot, which is all the things that we are going
to be experiencing on the boat, so we’re just going to take it gently",
explains Sally.
"We’ve both got to look after each other and we’ll just see
how it goes, but stick to two hours on, two hours off and hopefully
we’ll get there eventually".
Beware of the tanker
It’s not just the great expanse of water that’s against you. Weather,
50ft waves, even the possibility of sharks could be conspiring against
team Calderdale.
You also need someone on deck at all times because the biggest problem
is man made. "Tankers are a big problem, they can be on you in 15
minutes from spotting them on the horizon, they are so quick and
they will not stop.
"My biggest fear is being in high seas at night and not seeing
a tanker and it not seeing us, but there’s not much you can do about
that is there? We just have to keep our eyes peeled".
Pretty scary. But enough of the scary stuff, it’s not all doom and
gloom. "I’m really excited, this is the most amazing year I’ve ever
had."
And it’s probably going to get a lot more exciting pretty soon.
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