Now at the Seattle Boat Show, at Qwest Field Event Center, through Sunday, January 30th, will be four men who plan to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a 29-foot rowboat starting in December 2011. Atlantic Ocean Rowing Race veterans Greg Spooner and (Fremonster) Jordan Hanssen, Olympic Gold Medalist Adam Kreek, and former UW rower Richard Tarbill will be available from 10a – 8p each day of the Boat Show to answer questions about their experiences, and plans.
Originally, the OAR NW team announced their intention to compete in the Woodvale Race, a mid-Atlantic crossing. However, they recently decided to set their own path, and complete an epic crossing from West Africa to South America. Hanssen has declared this, “so much more of a journey, because it’s not over when we reach solid ground.” The four men, rowing two at a time, will use the historic James Robert Hanssen, the first rowboat to cross from mainland U.S. to mainland U.K.
While Hanssen and Spooner previously crossed the Atlantic, Kreek and Tarbill can also speak to their experiences eduring the rigors of training for such an extreme voyage. The deprivations, the battle of nature vs. man (and boat), and the things that go bump in the night (they’re pretty sure it was a shark…)
Their trip, and public appearances, raise funds and awareness for Right To Play International. For more information on their journey to the Atlantic, check their website, read the column on Fremocentrist.com, or stop by the Boat Show to speak with the men in person!