AFTER almost three years of planning, a four-woman crew from Jersey are poised to leave home at the start of a mission to row across the Atlantic Ocean.
The four working mums make up Intrepid 232, a team that does exactly what it says on the tin: the rowing quartet’s combined age is 232, and who would argue that the bold mission was anything other than intrepid?
Julie Brady, Helene Monpetit, Rosemary Satchwell and Alison Smithurst are to take part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge as one of 39 crews who will race from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua.
Dubbed “the World’s Toughest Row”, the event will start on 12 December, but this weekend is the last that the women will spend in Jersey until well into 2024.
On Monday the crew will head for La Gomera for a final fortnight of preparation prior to embarking on the 3,000-mile race.
Departure day from Jersey actually marks Ms Brady’s 60th birthday, with her team-mates making up – including some fractions – the rest of the 232.
The crew are hoping to replicate the feat of fellow Islanders Pete Wright and Steve Hayes, who formed the Dragonfish crew to take part in the 2022 version of the Talisker Challenge, reaching Antigua on 5 February this year after 54 days and 16 hours at sea.
The 3,000-mile crossing is expected to take anything between 45 and 70 days depending on weather conditions. The team’s brand-new boat, named Black Squid, has three seats, although the crew are most likely to row in pairs for two hours before resting for the same period. Each rower is set to burn 5,000 calories and drink ten litres of fluids daily.
Team Intrepid are seeking support from Islanders for their fundraising efforts around the challenge, with money collected set to be split between two causes close to the team members’ hearts.
Half the proceeds will go to the Grace Crocker Foundation, which supports families while children receive medical treatment in the UK, with the remainder going to the Blue Marine Foundation, which works to restore the ocean by addressing overfishing.
The team’s fundraising page can be found at gofundme.com/atlantic-ocean-rowing-challenge-2023 while more details on the race can be found at: worldstoughestrow.com.
