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A four-woman crew set off to row the Atlantic this morning having been passed the Jersey long-distance rowing baton by two fellow Islanders who completed the same ocean crossing earlier this year.
At 8.29am this morning, Julie Brady, Helene Monpetit, Rosemary Satchwell and Alison Smithurst set off from the Canary Island of La Gomera at the start of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.
Competing as Intrepid 232 – the figure representing their combined ages – the crew’s boat Black Squid is one of 38 taking part in the 3,000-mile race to Antigua. Crowds lined the shore in La Gomera as the competing boats set out one by one following a 24-hour delay to the start as a result of adverse weather.
Among the well-wishers who had made the trip to the Canary Islands to see off the Jersey crew were Pete Wright and Steve Hayes, who competed in the race last winter and crossed the finish line in Antigua after just under eight weeks at sea.
Pictured: Atlantic rowing veterans Pete Wright (left) and Steve Hayes were in La Gomera to cheer on fellow islanders making up the Intrepid 232 crew (l to r): Rosemary Satchwell, Alison Smithurst, Helene Monpetit and Julie Brady
The four working mums, who range in age from 55 to 60 and have been planning their journey for around three years, are seeking to break the world record for the oldest female fours crew to ever cross the Atlantic.
Team Intrepid are seeking support from islanders for their fundraising efforts around the challenge, with money collected to be split between two causes close to team members’ hearts.
Pictured: The team spoke about their upcoming challenge in the July edition of Connect Magazine.
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 HERE, while more details on the race, including a tracker for the latest positions, can be found at HERE.
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