World's toughest rowing race sets off from Tower Bridge
by Mike Ridley / WWI on 2 Jun 2013
The start of GB Row 2013, the world’s toughest rowing race. onEdition
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The world’s toughest rowing race, the GB Row is now underway with six brave crews now rowing non-stop 2,000 miles around Britain. The race set off at Tower Bridge in London today at 8.16am on Saturday June 1 when the Queen’s golden Rowing Barge, Gloriana, led the racers over the start line.
These six brave crews of men and women are trying to beat the current Guinness World Record for the fastest time to row around Britain of 26 days 21 hours and 14 minutes.
The first crew to beat that fastest-time record will win a £100,000 bounty, the richest prize in rowing anywhere in the world.
Among the crews taking part is a team of four men led by Falklands veteran, David Hosking, a retired Royal Navy Commander. His daughter Sophie won a gold medal for rowing in the Olympics in London in 2012.
After six hours the racers were still in the River Thames, with the Islanders, a team of four young men, led by adventurer Josh Taylor from Essex, were a mile ahead of Oarsome Adventures, a team of four men and two women from west Wales.
Hosking’s team, Hallin Marine, in third place were catching up fast - less than a third of a mile behind Oarsome Adventures.
Chris Usborne, Race Director of GBRow 2013, said: 'The rowers will have to endure the world’s busiest shipping lanes, treacherous tides, live military firing ranges and storms before they return to London.
'The weather for the first ten days of the race is perfect for a world record time.'
GB Row Challenge website
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