Another week older and still more interest!

Another week has passed and there have been another 18 emails from people expressing interest in the event.

Anyone wishing to take part though, needs to give serious consideration to getting money organised and sent in asap.  There are two payment dates that will need to be met after we receive your deposit or you will not be able to take your place in the 2012 line-up.  Remember, just saying you're interested is not enough to get your name on the list.  If you have not made your final payment by the end of December 2011, you will not be going in 2012. 
You will be allowed to carry your wish to take part forward to our event in 2013 instead, so all is not lost.  It just means you will not be in the first ever event from London to London via Paris Challenge.  There will NEVER be another FIRST CHALLENGE over this course.

We have had to set a deadline for payments or we cannot organise the Safety Boats needed to escort you on the trip.  These boat owners get booked up months in advance and we cannot expect them to hang around waiting for us to decide if, and how many of them we need.  For us, the event is a challenge.  For them, it's their livelihood!
Also, as we have to have your boats built once we receive your payments, we are depending on you to forward the funding to do so.  This will not happen overnight!  Boats take time to be built.  No money coming in - no boat to row in!

We strongly urge those of you that have not applied yet and are serious about taking part, to get your application forms and deposit in asap.  It's a serious undertaking that needs serious commitment by each individual wishing to complete the Challenge of a lifetime.  Only one part of The Challenge is the actual rowing of the boat.  Before that starts, you have to be realistic enough to see that you have to make a serious financial commitment to achieve your dream.

Remember one and all, you can now opt to row one way - from London to Paris; Paris to London OR 'Both Ways' - from London to London via Paris.  The 'Both Ways' trip will cost a full fee plus an extra 50% price of the single fee again to get back to London.  This reduction across the board is thought to be the fairest way to get as many people out there rowing both ways.  We still have to meet our obligations to the Safety Boats to get you back again - and time is money!

Furthermore, there are two categories for rowers. 
They are:

1. Competitors, and
2. Challengers.

The first group will be trying to set the fastest times - either from London to Paris;  Paris to London; or London to London via Paris.

The second group will be covering the same three options but will concentrate on simply getting there!  The Challenge for them will be completing the distance.

Remember why this second category has been introduced.  It's for those that may not realistically have a chance of competing against or in the same boat as, young, fit racing snakes in peak physical condition - as well as those that simply wish to enjoy the Challenge of taking part in a long distance rowing Challenge.

The choice of which category you enter will be up to you in the end.  When you return your Application Form, please give serious consideration to the category you wish to enter in and mark it clearly on the form when it is sent in.

Don't miss out!  The date for the first full payment to reach us after your deposit is 30th June 2011.  Eight months and counting down...

Roger G

Yet more enquiries and interest!

This weekend has seen another glut of enquiries regarding our Challenge.  There seem to be a lot of women applying this time around.  One idea springing from this is to have an all female team.  Why not?  Come on ladies.  You compete at all levels of international events.  Why not find a boat full of Challengers or Competitors that are all female?  There are countless sponsors looking to sponsor female Challenges.  I know that I have had over 12 women ask for more information about this Challenge.

Don't forget the difference in categories. 
Competitors are those trying to set the fastest time against other teams either from London to Paris;  Paris to London; or London to London via Paris.
Challengers are those trying to complete the event (however long it takes) by either getting from London to Paris; to London; or from London to London via Paris!

The Dream:
Two boats (maybe even three) of either gender competing against each other to set the fastest time.  These crews can also be mixed gender as has been done before.
Two (maybe even three) boats with crews who are Challenging themselves to complete the event and / or raising money for Charities along the way.
Why not have a Competition for male crews and one for female crews so that records can be set for both genders?

Keep the enquiries and comments coming in!

2012. Different categories of applicant needed.

Right.  Here's the thing!  In previous Challenges, everyone that took part seemed to be ultra competetive and was intent on setting the best time possible for their Challenges.  This is understandable, but this year in particular, it also meant that two people were not allowed by their other 'crew mates' to row on the River Seine as they were not thought to be adequate rowers.  The fact reamins that they had paid their entry fee and felt cheated.

For this reason and also regarding the question of age and infirmity of potential adapted rowers, I am looking at running the Challenge in 2012 with two categories of applicants.

One group who will be wanting to set the best time they can.
Another group rowing the course for the experience, adventure and raising money for charities.

Of course the 'best time' group may also be raising money for charities too and well done for that, but if anyone simply wants to complete the task, why should they be placed in a boat with racing snakes intent on breaking the water speed record?

What are your thoughts?

New Challenge Announced for 2013!

It has been decided, due to interest so far, to run another rowing event from London to Paris and return in 2013.

The cost is likely to be similar - based on anticipated rises in inflation and cost of living but we will keep it as low as possible so that as many people can take part as possible. 

It is hoped that anyone wanting to take part in 2012 that cannot raise the money in time, or have other commitments that year, can still participate in what is after all, a brilliant Challenge to take part in.

The example here is the young man wishing to take part from Gibraltar who will be a year older in 2013.  Maybe that will suit his needs better in his preparation for the attempt in rowing the Med in 2014?  Also, there is a man who is soon to be a father and wishes to put the Challenge off until the family are more established.

Youngest applicant to date; an Adapted Rower and The RAF!

Now there's a first.  Of all the things I never considered having to consider!!  Having sent out information packs to various places, one such place was Gibraltar where I know they have a very good and strong interest in open water rowing.  While there doing some training courses over the past two years I had the fortune to be introduced to some of their very keen rowers.

As a direct result of leaving an advert there with a rowing club, I have just had a phone call from a fourteen year old young man who wants to take part in The Challenge in 2012.  By then he'll be sixteen and will be two years away from his dream of rowing the Mediterranean Sea!

My first thought was that he is too young!  However, he has already been rowing for a number of years and has won many recent honours at the sport.  So.  How old is too old and how young is too young?

We've had interest shown from veterans rowing clubs too - asking if they are too old to take part!  Surely if their doctor says they are fit enough to go, then who am I to argue the point?

The next point is that an Adapted Rower has also expressed an interest.  He has no legs and would need to have his place in the boat specially designed.  With a lot of our armed forces lads and lasses spending more time in hot and sunny places and suffering horrendous injuries, there are a heck of a lot of them coming home with bits and pieces missing!  They are still fit and well aside from the missing bits.  To my mind, this doesn't make them any different to the rest of us and I for one would be honoured to have them along as part of our crews.

We have also had interest in today from an RAF base in North Wales who wish to enter a team. 

Wouldn't it be GREAT to have so many variations in our Challenge during the London Olympic Year of 2012?

Let me know your thoughts please.  Leave comments below if you like.

Decision on Entry Fee almost finalised!

Well,
The latest rounds of talks regarding our costings for boat builds and hectic meetings to discuss the overall pricing for the return trip has resulted in what I hope will be the final cost of the event for each crew.

Those wanting to row one way or the other will probably be £3,250 plus VAT each.  (£3,900 after VAT @ 20%). 

Those wanting to make the trip both ways will be asked for a full fee one way BUT would get a 50% reduction on the return fee.  So, your fee is likely to be around £5,850 per person after VAT.
Of course this will depend on having enough people to crew one boat each way.  We need however, crews of 12 to do the both way trip or it won't work at all. 

For that reason, we'll be asking for a slight increase in the deposit too if you express the desire to go both ways.  The difference is, that a proportion of that will be refundable now if we do not get enough entries for the each way trip.  We feel that if it is your fault that you drop out, then you lose your deposit, but if it is unavoidable due to lack of entries to make a complete return crew and we have to cancel a boat, then you will get your return deposit back (plus of course any other money you have paid in for the return trip).
That's only fair on everyone, because if one person decides to drop out of a both ways crew, the remaining crew would have difficulty but still be able to continue on.  If three or more dropped out though, it would be even more difficult to continue as the question of crew rest between rowing stints would be decreased considerably too.  We'd have to consider the enormous burden placed on a diminished crew and decide if it would be safe to continue.

Let me know what you think about this idea.  I need to know your thoughts!  We are hoping to make this as inexpensive and open to all comers as possible - but you need to be seriously interested and able to make the physical and financial commitment. 

Have you got what it takes?  Email me on rogergould@btconnect.com for more information...

More Interest as days go by...VERY encouraging responses!

Just got off the phone to a guy who is very interested in taking part in the Challenge.  He has just done some other long distance events and is looking to do more still!

We've also had communication from Mike Gilbert from Langstone and another few others.  Mike is known to us already as a veteran rower!  (Veteran in many ways - all good)...  He has offered to either bring some of his club up to London or for us to take the Gig we have, down to them so they can have a practise in her.  As we don't have our own trailer yet, they may have to travel up to London for the day / weekend sometime soon, to have a try out and see if they feel suited to rowing the Gigs.  We all hope they will!

Keep those applications coming in!  As we have already said, anyone wanting to row this Challenge both ways, now only has to pay a full fee one way, and a half fee for the return trip and NOT just the first crew to pay their fees as previously posted.  I'm trying to make this as appealing to everyone as I can!!  Give it a go!  Be the first to do it!

Entry fee is being reconsidered - Two reasons

For everyone's notice...
First of all - Since we have all but decided on the use of the Cornish Gig for our events in future, we are negotiating a deal to have them made at a price that is cheaper than the Cutters.  This means that our overall costs are being reduced.  That reduction will be passed on directly to our Challengers as soon as we work out the differences.

Second.  After much deliberation and consideration, we have also decided to reduce the entry fee for the return trip by 50% for all such applicants and not just the first crew to pay their fees.  This means that anyone entering for the two way trip will pay the new reduced fee (once decided on as mentioned above), PLUS half that fee again for the return trip. 

Anyone that has paid their deposit will receive the relevant reductions through their payment plans that are already in place.

As soon as we receive the quote for boat builds, we will work out the Race Entry Fee and notify everyone by email who has already expressed an interest.

Thanks for reading...Any comments, please feel free to make them!
Stay in touch.
Roger G

Friday meeting with WoodVale Challenge, Simon Chalk

Today saw Richard Bain and I travel down to the hub of WoodVale Challenge in Ashburton, Devon.

Simon Chalk and I both took part in the first ever Atlantic Rowing Race back in 1997. Since then, Simon has moved on and now runs many ocean rowing races around the world. You could say that he is now the for most authority on Ocean Rowing. He has also 'Chalked' up several ocean crossings himself. The Atlantic and Indian to name just two. He also has a wealth of experience in designing and building sea going rowing boats. So why do you think we went to see him?

Being in the market for new design sea worthy rowing boats ourselves, we decided to go down and get his expert advice first hand!

The day began very early as Richard is based in Kent, and me in Surrey. We arrived in Devon at around 14:00 and spent a long time looking at various rowing designs. Sone on paper, and others in the flesh - so to speak. Simon was very helpful and upbeat about the whole Challenge we ar taking on. He also sees the opportunity to use the London to Paris Challenge as a "warm up" for some of his Ocean Rowing competitors too.

We have settled on taking on the Cornish Gig as the boat for our use on future Challenges - unless that is, our trials over the next two months prove against it. We are going back to see him on Sunday to bring one back to Gravesend with us. Then we intend getting the three crews from L2P 2010 to river test her for us and give us their comments.

There is a lot we can get from each other and we intend to maximize our efforts by working alongside each other in the future.

Created a new Challenge on Explore Rowing website

I've just ventured into the wide world of rowing on the Internet!

Am I excited? Hell yes!

This has opened up the Challenge to everyone listed on the British Rowing website and the Explore Rowing site too. We've already had two people get in touch since I posted there this afternoon.

Happy days!!

Have we found our Challenge boat?

This weekend saw Richard and Andrew Bain and myself travel down to the offices of WoodVale Challenge. Simon Chalk is the Organiser of the Ocean crossing company that make dreams possible for anyone wishing to row any ocean. He and I go back to the first ever Atlantic Rowing Race in 1997. We have worked together on and off since then. We really needed his advice on different possibilities for boats to use for the L2P Challenges.
He had a Cornish Gig at his complex that had been used for an attempted round Britain row made by Leicester Tigers rugby club recently. He suggested that we take it away and trial it.
After a second trip down there all the way from Gravesend, we collected the Gig and it has been taken back so that the crews from this years 2010 event can try it out for us. Who better to let us know their opinions?
The Gig is in common use all around the coast and there are slight variations in build and type. For our Challrnge, it is vital that each boat be the same in order to avoid claims of unfair advantage. For this reason, if we do go with the Gig design, we will be making our own. This means we have control of what goes on them and what does not!
This news seems to have already leaked out, because tonight I have had two calls and one email from excited potential Challengers!
Presently, we are sourcing some oars for the Gig we have as it came without any at all.
I'll keep you all up to date as we get further into this process.