News - TEAM HESCO
| TEAM HESCO - Courage and Determination Hesco Bastion are extremely honoured to sponsor a four-strong team of ex-Army and serving personnel competing in one of the worlds toughest rowing races, the inaugural Shepherds Ocean Fours Rowing Race 2006. Pete Rowlands, Charlie Martell, Mark Waterson and Ben Fouracre have come together to become the first four-man team to win a trans-Atlantic rowing race. In rowing the Atlantic, Team Hesco will be raising money for the Meningitis Trust in memory of Gareth Rowlands, the sixteen-year-old son of team member Pete, who tragically died from the disease in May 2003. |
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| The Challenge - Setting New Records This race, the first of its kind, is a tough and uncompromising race across the North Atlantic Ocean. This race will see 15 teams of four compete on equal terms in identically purpose built 29 foot ocean rowing boats across 3,100 miles of North Atlantic Sea starting in New York Harbour on 10 June 2006 and arriving in Falmouth some two months later. Until now, there have been only nine successful rowing crossings of the North Atlantic - two double-handed and seven solo but not one by a team of four. The first crossing was undertaken by two Norwegian immigrants back in 1896 and the most recent, a Frenchman called Emmanuel Coindre who crossed the North Atlantic from Cape Cod to France in 87 days in 2003. The record for a North Atlantic rowing crossing is currently held by Tom McClean who rowed from St John's Newfoundland to Bishop's Lighthouse, UK in 55 days. This record has remained unbroken since 1987. This passage will involve weather conditions completely opposite to those experienced in the traditional Atlantic rowing challenge events. The North Atlantic route is not a trade wind route and although the current will be going with Team Hesco, weather patterns and wave direction will be changeable throughout the voyage. Colder temperatures, fog and icebergs are a possibility as well as storm and hurricane conditions. Sharks and whales also present their own, unique hazards. |
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| The Launch - Inspiration and Support On April 6, 2006, Mount Spirit, Team Hesco's boat will be launched from St Katherine's Dock in London. Falklands veteran Simon Weston and inspirational meningitis survivor Sophia Mason will be the guests of honour as well as the Arch Deacon of Litchfielfd who will be blessing the boat before it commences it’s epic journey. Please join us in wishing Team Hesco courage and determination for a successful crossing, inspiration for setting new records and support for increasing the level of funds raised for the Meningitis Trust in memory of Gareth Rowlands. To find out more about Team Hesco’s challenge or to make a donation on-line, please visit www.teamhesco.com |
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| Shepherds Ocean Fours Rowing Race sets off from New York June 10th, New York, USA It’s been a long campaign – but after three years of planning, preparation, logistics and fundraising, the Team Hesco boys are on their way. On June 10th, Team Hesco's crew of Royal Engineers - Major Pete Rowlands, Captain Mark Waterson, 2 Lt Charlie Martell and Staff Sgt Ben Fouracre – departed from New York in Mount Spirit for the second of three epic challenges: rowing the Atlantic. Hesco Bastion are extremely honoured to sponsor and support Team Hesco who will be competing in one of the worlds toughest rowing races, the inaugural Shepherds Ocean Fours Rowing Race 2006. Updates can be found on the Team Hesco website and the team HQ will be in daily contact with the crew to assess progress, provide weather advice and a voice from the outside world. Follow Team Hesco’s epic journey with regular updates at the Team Hesco website where you will also find full details of the challenge. For updates and to make a donation on-line, please visit www.teamhesco.com |
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| Team HESCO arrive back in the UK! Sunday September 3rd, Mevagissey, UK Team Hesco has finished! 84 days, 23 hours and 59 minutes! The team has completed the longest (as the crow flies) trans Atlantic row from New York to Mevagissey, Cornwall, UK. They landed at 15:25GMT (16:25 BST) on Sunday September 3rd 2006. Team Hesco were close to securing a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the first British team to row unassisted between the US and UK but within a mile and a half of Mevagissey in Cornwall they were blown back out to sea in bad weather and were unable to row against the wind. Due to the weather conditions, non-existent food supply and complete exhaustion, they eventually had to agree to a tow, which put paid to their bid to become the first Britons to row the 3,300-nautical miles between the US and UK coastlines. Their attempt to set a mainland-to-mainland record was an additional effort which the team put in after taking part in and completing the race to the Scilly Isles. They have been at sea since leaving New York on June 10. They have been very unlucky all the way across and survived numerous hazards, including force nine winds from tropical storm Alberto. The men were continuously driven backwards despite spending 12 hours a day at the oars. They have so far raised more than £142,000 for the Meningitis Trust following the death of Major Rowlands' 16-year-old son Gareth from meningitis three years ago. Hesco Bastion are extremely proud and honoured to have been a part of this incredible challenge and would like to send our sincerest thanks to all the boys, their families and friends for making this such an amazing and successful journey. |
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