So it begins...

SUNDAY 9th May 2010

Follow the Challenge on http://www.london2parisrowing.com/
Challenge Day started early for everyone today.  Both Nicky and I were up and away by 03:00 to meet with Richard Carless and Malcolm Knight of Marine Film Services http://www.marinefilmservices.co.uk/ at Richmond Bridge Boathouses to tow the two cutters to St Katherine's Dock.  The Paul Satow and Arthur Alcock looked really gleaming in the early morning haze.  The weather was clear and very chilly!  First stop, Richmond Lock.  A really wonderful experience travelling through one of the oldest pieces of architecture and engineering in the country.  It always fascinates me just how ingenious mankind can be when we put our minds to good instead of discovering news ways to injure or overthrow each others way of life!  That being said, we progressed through a waking City of London with only one other craft on the water for the entire distance travelled.

Arriving at St Katherine's on the pier of the dock, we find all three crews already there along with the support vessels.  http://www.doverseaschool.co.uk/   My jobs included placing the Small Ships Registration numbers on each of the three cutters.  With those firmly gaffer taped to the forward hulls of each, I press on with the next issues.  The spare bits of kit brought up from Mark Edwards at the boat house are stowed on board the committee boat and I set off to the Dickens Inn, where the staff have come in extra early just for us to enjoy breakfast and a final briefing.  With breakfasts ordered, Mike Oram delivers the final briefing.

Everyone is shocked to hear the news that the French authorities have blocked our attempt to row the Channel.  Reasons given are that the event is too dangerous and will compromise the safety and security of the crossing area in the port of Calais.  Mike has been carrying out these events and escorting such crossings for too many years to remember, and he is flabbergasted that they have known about this event for so long, and waited until Thursday before sending a rushed email, telling us of their decision.  In their email, they tell us that the safety boats will all have to pay hundreds of thousands of Euros in fines if they persist with the crossing, and added that the cutters will be impounded for two days and charges made to get therm back!  It is obvious that they have not read our Risk Assessment or looked at the safety precautions taken to ensure things are met with safety in mind.

However, the weather looks like it will not allow a safe crossing anyhow so the problem will not arise.  Our Plan B will doubtless be put into full swing with Richard and Malcolm trailering the cutters to France and the rowers pulling them along the French coastline to La Havre.

This brings to notice another interesting rule VERY recently imposed by the French.  It seems that Self Propelled boats (rowing boats), that are not automatic self-baling, are not permitted to be more than 2 miles away from coastal cover, and that Self Propelled boats that are automatic self-baling are not allowed to be more than 6 miles from shore cover!  Effectively, this cancels ANY attempt to row the Channel, ever again. 

The only way I see round it in future, is to change the type of boats used to something more substantial that have the ability to be sailed.  For example, Whalers.  These are 29 foot long, weight 29 hundred weight, and designed to carry 29 people in an emergency.  They are usually rowed, but some have a facility to be sailed also.  This would obviously change the event completely for the future, but if the French stick to this decision not to allow Self Propelled vessels further than 6 miles from their coast, the only answer is to make the event one that accommodates their choice.

The crews gave a mixed response to the news that they were unlikely to be allowed to row the Channel.  This ranged from quiet acceptance to bewilderment and in some cases, underlying rage.  You can understand this and appreciate that these people have been selling an event to themselves and their sponsors that includes a row across the Channel, only to have that game plan changed at the last moment by an authority that is outside our control.  I'd be fuming if it were me!  It's like climbing to base camp of Everest, then being helicoptered onto the final ascent and climbing the last 20 feet or so.

The Challenge started dead on time as the chimes of Big Ben sounded nine o'clock.  The crews set off with the Gravesend Boys leading the way through the incoming tide.  They were followed by the Reivers crew in Arthur Alcock with the Outloars in Paul Satow bringing up a close third.

By the time I left them at Greenwich the places were the same; apart from the fact that the spaces had increased a lot, the crews were still looking strong as ever.

However, read on for developments later in the evening!