 |
|
大象传媒 Wales backs ocean rowers
大象传媒 Wales is mounting one of its most ambitious broadcasting projects
to date - following four men as they attempt to smash the record
for rowing across the Atlantic.
The intrepid voyagers are due to set out on Sunday 2 June from Newfoundland
in Canada to row the 2,100 miles to Falmouth in Cornwall in just
35 days - shaving an incredible 21 days off the current record set
as long ago as 1896.
And the feat could mean a marvellous British achievement to mark
the Queen's Golden Jubilee, almost 50 years after Hillary and Tensing
celebrated Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation by reaching the summit
of Everest.
大象传媒 Wales has given cash from its Innovation Fund to put a full
satellite kit on board, allowing TV and radio link-ups as well as
online chats as the crew make their month-long voyage.
Besides the interactive element, 大象传媒 Wales has been filming with
the crew for a documentary to be screened later in the year.
And
大象传媒 Radio Wales will be carrying regular updates in news and other
programmes, as well as interviews and livechats on the internet
with other experts and rowing colleagues.
The four adventurers are -
Rob
Munslow, originally from Monmouth, who will be liaising regularly
over the internet with Monmouth School;
team
leader Mark Stubbs from Poole in Dorset, where the crew has been
training, and who will be keeping a video diary for 大象传媒 Wales of
the voyage;
Nigel
Morris from Teesside;
and
George Rock, also from Teesside.
大象传媒
Wales has set up the definitive guide to the rowing record attempt
- one of the most ambitious and challenging websites it has created
at
The site contains biographies of the men and their mission, interviews
with them and a guide to their specially designed boat, the Skandia
Atlantic Spirit. The satellite technology 大象传媒 Wales has installed
allows users to track every metre of their voyage as they travel.
Rob
Munslow, at 24 the youngest of the crew, is delighted they will
have a link to home through the satellite communication.
"It
gives a different voice for you to hear, one that we can express
our thoughts to, really. We want to share the project with people
and hopefully inspire others to similar feats," he says.
Everything
the crew needs for their magnificent voyage has had to be packed
on board the 220 kg boat, which will be rowed, in normal circumstances,
by two on and two off.
The
Skandia Atlantic Spirit will be travelling through treacherous waters,
particularly near the beginning of the trip, when they encounter
dangerous ice floes close to where the Titanic sank on her maiden
voyage 90 years ago, and which can be plotted on the website.
"When
you're rowing, you're going backwards so you don't know - you've
got to keep making an effort to turn round and see where you're
going," says Munslow, who plans to smuggle in some Welsh wool
to sit on, as it's good for preventing sores developing from sitting
too long.
Delyth
Morgan, who has co-ordinated the project for 大象传媒 Wales, says the
four are well aware of the dangers of the trip: "Just a couple
of weeks ago a couple capsized just two days into a long-distance
row. They survived for 15 hours in the water before being rescued.
"If
our crew capsize in the north Atlantic, there's no way they could
survive that long as it's so much colder, so safety is crucial.
Everyone at 大象传媒 Wales is wishing them the best of luck."
In
fact Simon Chalk, one of the rescued rowers, will be joining the
Skandia Atlantic Spirit crew in Newfoundland to wish them bon voyage.
Follow
the exploits of the ocean rowers, plot their route and keep up to
date with everything that's happening aboard the Skandia Atlantic
Spirit by logging on to .
|
|
|
