On Saturday 18th January 2020 HMS Oardacious arrived in Antigua after successfully completing the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge; the team of four Royal Navy submarines finished sixth overall and fourth in their class. This epic challenge across the Atlantic was in support of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity and to date HMS Oardacious have raised over £100,000.
The Atlantic Challenge saw HMS Oardacious row 3000 miles from San Sebastian in La Gomera, Canary Islands to Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua in an incredible 37 days, 3 hours and 7 minutes. The team faced 40ft waves, navigated busy shipping routes as well as battling against sleep deprivation and difficulty with the auto helm of their boat.
Just days before completing the challenge two of the team were thrown from the boat and experienced their first full-capsize resulting in a chipped tooth, a broken oar and some weary and battered team mates who had been trying to get their 2 hours sleep before taking over at the oars.
Participants in the challenge are expected to lose on average 12kg and burn 5,000 calories a day. It is vital therefore that the team consume approximately 10 litres of food and have the food required to maintain their health and energy levels for the physical extremes inflicted by the race,
Adrian Bell, Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity CEO, said:
“We are incredibly grateful to HMS Oardacious who completed the Atlantic Campaigns in order to raise money for the RNRMC and help support the mental health of serving personnel, veterans and their families. BZ on this fantastic achievement & thank you.”
To help HMS Oardacious reach their fundraising target of £125,000 or take part in their 50km challenge click here.
