Atlantic Ocean 2007  /  Indian Ocean 2008  /  Pacific Ocean 2009

Here is the link to the Irish President’s message which is better than the copy on 0ur Gallery!

http://www.oceanrowing.com/La%20Mondiale/Letter_from_President_of_Ireland.htm

Peter Donaldson received a message of ‘Congratulations’ from the Irish President Mary McAleese to the crew, organisers and all involved in this ‘inspirational effort’. 

READ THE FULL MESSAGE  - VISIT ‘THE GALLERY’

irish-presidents-congratulations.doc

There is not really a dedicated page for this so we are putting it on to the NEWS page in the hope that most people will read it!

 

There are so many individuals who we must thank for all the help and support they have given to us before, during and after our successful voyage. 

The names are not in any particular order and there are some who are not on this list but these people named or unnamed know what they did for us and ALL receive our most grateful appreciation and thanks.

John & Sarah Hall

James ‘Tiny’ Little, Solo Ocean Rower of Fame www.alexandratavern.co.uk

Lincoln Barnwell, www.barnwellprint.co.uk 

Kenneth & Tatiana Crutchlow www.oceanrowing.com 

David Fox Pitt www.eventsandactivities.co.uk

Ailsa Shaw, Team Physiotherapist, Renew Physio, 16 Canning Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8EG &

ALL of the Shaw family!

Katie James www.kjmedia.net

Ronan Brown, www.storagexpress.co.uk

Petal Furlonge-Walker, Trinidad

Eric Erdun, Ocean Rower, (presently rowing the Pacific Ocean single handed)

Gerard Seibel, Captain of the La Mondiale in 1992

Captain Peter Morgan UK Defence Adviser, British High Commission

Chief Petty Officer, Dave Hatfield, Defence Section, British High Commission

Thomas Herbert, Chief Executive Officer www.portstcharles.com 

Derek Ince

David Peterkin

Di and all her staff at the Yacht Club Restaurant at Port St Charles

Richard Sealy & Maurice Greenidge, Barbados Sport &Tourism Board

The Coastguard Escort

Customs, Immigration & Health Officers at Port St Charles

ALL of the kind Boat Owners at Port St Charles who gave up their time to take our family members out to greet La Mondiale up the coast of Barbados.

Georgina Jelfs &

Diageo  www.diageo.com

Michael Davies

Mike & Mayla, Sunshine Maritime, Puerto de Mogan,  www.sunshinemaritime.com

Rob & Louisa

Royal Norfolk & Suffolk Yacht Club

Dave [dave@dbsigns.co.uk]

Clockwork Storage

Colin Symes & Rachael Pilgrim, Virgin Atlantic

ALL the families and friends who supported us and saw us off at Mogan, Gran Canaria and saw us in at Port St Charles, Barbados

The members of our crew who helped repair & renovate and prepare La Mondiale.

ORS Technical Team.

ALL of our friends who sent messages of support and encouragement while we were on the Ocean and to the people who ‘held the fort’ while we were away.

Friends old and new who have donated to the Charities.

There are some people who are not named on this list but they do know how very grateful we are to them.

I know that most people will have read this message on the ‘Home’ Page but incase you haven’t, here it is again!

Thank very much indeed to all these generous people who have supported our Charities via the ‘Just Giving’ links, lots of donations are still coming in but to anyone else who would like to donate, there are only 11 more days to do this the easy way via ‘Just Giving’.  Go to the ‘Charities Page’ & click on the charity logo you would like to donate to. It doesn’t matter whether it is large or small, it all adds up! 

Thank you all and ANY donation from £1 upwards will  be much appreciated to help our charities! 

31^st January 2008

 

Yesterday La Mondiale’s British and Irish Crew received a letter of congratulations and recognition of their remarkable triumph from the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown.  You can view this letter on ORS website.  Scroll down the first page:

http://www.oceanrowing.com/   

There have been many emails of congratulations and also an enormous amount of features in the Press.  The Sunday Times ran a full page on the ECOSSE section last Sunday.  It was an extremely good article and worth reading. 

Several days have past now since La Mondiale’s outstanding victory on 17^th January  Quite a few members of the Team have gone home and now the whole expedition will be a memory apart from the calloused hands and odds aches and pains to remind them!  It is interesting to read some of the Crews comments told to me on the second day back on land.

 

Leven Brown:   We had a very good crossing and coming into Port St Charles with a clear two days in hand for the Record was great.  The Blue Riband Trophy is something that I always knew that La Mondiale could win with a good Team.  Our Team went for ‘this one’ with tenacity and grit and there are plenty more Records to be had!

 

Rob Loder Symonds:   Day 9 was my best moment when my body had adapted to the stresses and strains of ocean rowing and I knew I could do it!  I am proud to be part of the Team

 

Julian Barnwell:   Sorry it’s all over and glad that we’ve got the World Record.  Especially pleased for the Skipper & for Ray Carroll who put a sterling effort.  It was an honour to row with all Team La Mondiale.

 

Mike Tooth:   Coming in to Port St Charles, Barbados was the best moment and a great 50^th Birthday for me.  The row was businesslike and tough.  It was a huge high to row117 miles in 24 hours.  We were flat out the whole way.

 

Oli Dudley:   This was one of my dreams and it is a bonus to have achieved that as well as the Record.  Had a real jet lag moment on the second day out of Mogan and thought I saw wild dogs.  Going through tough hard times together can build friendships and I know that some of these men will be friends for my lifetime.

 

Jamie Walker:   My worst time on board was coming out of the cabin after speaking to my family at Christmas time.  That was hard.  I would go with Leven again, I had confidence in him.  The best moment was coming in to Port St Charles, Barbados to see my family knowing we had smashed the Record.

 

Peter Donaldson:  I would consider doing it again.  Never say never!  The worst time for me was during the storm early in the Race when I pull four strokes on the oar and there was no water and prayed that the fifth stroke would make it, it was like going into a big hole and swore I could feel the bottom of the ocean.  Rounding the North Point of Barbados was the best when I thought f**k we did it.  Then when the aeroplane came over us and hailed us on the VHF and took photos I knew were nearly there!

 

Don Lennox:   I might consider rowing an ocean again.  I was very seasick the first night out which was probably my worst time.  One of the best times was listening to Leven talking to Kenneth & Tatiana Crutchlow of the Ocean Rowing Society and imagining what the conversation was all about!  The very best thing was rowing in to Port St Charles and seeing Lynn and parents there waiting to greet me.

 

Reinhardt Von Hof:   The Ocean discovers every weakness you have both mental and physical.  If you are susceptible to injury, the sea will discover it and rip it apart and it did.  I didn’t drink enough to start with and got very de-hydrated and had to make myself sip water all day to get right again.  While rowing I was able to confront all my fears and what was important to me in life and I rowed in honour of my father’s memory which was inspiration to succeed.

 

Ray Carroll:   My worst moment was waking up with Leven on my left and hearing him snoring above the noise of the storm outside, Don on my right sweating like a pig and Oli across my feet!  The storm made the cabin very claustrophobic and it felt it was like a coffin.  The very best moment was arriving at Port St Charles, Barbados with the Record in the bag and another two; we hope all to be in the Guinness Book of Records.

 

Liam Hughes:   The worst time for me was lying after being sick for three days at the very start of the crossing and thinking I might have to be taken off if it went on for another 24 hours.  The best moment was when I heard the light plane calling us up on the VHF just past North Point, Barbados and hearing a land based voice.  I suddenly felt like apples and custard!

 

P J Luard:   The most exciting memory is when we were about 65 miles off Barbados there was a Flying Fish attack on the last night of the Row.  There were thousands of them assaulting us.  Just after that we saw a halo of light which was gone by daylight but we knew that we were nearly there.  The worst time was when we were stuck at sea anchor for three days, it was depressing and miserable. The highlight was the boats coming out to meet us and seeing my Dad and Minky and thinking about my Mum who I did this row for.

 Charlie Taylor and Stuart Kershaw’s comments will follow if I can catch up with them!

Just to let everyone know that ‘Orca’ has arrived safely into Bridgetown Harbour.  Fantastic & Many Congratulations to them, the first multihull ocean rowboat ever to make a Transatlantic Crossing.

More details on the Ocean Rowing Society Website.  http://www.oceanrowing.com/

33 DAYS 7 HOURS & 30 MINS!

17th January 2008

Our 14 amazing oarsmen, every one of these fine men deserve praise second to none.  From the first stroke of their oars in the Ocean at Mogan, Gran Canaria to the last stroke at Port St Charles, Barbados, they pulled staunchly to achieve their goal and what a victory it is to beat a Record held for 16 years.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR TEAM ‘LA MONDIALE’

 

 

PLEASE SUPPORT THEIR CHARITIES BY DONATING TODAY!     THANKS SO VERY MUCH TO ALL THESE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO HAVE ALREADY DONE SO.

THESE GUYS HAVE PULLED THE OARS NON-STOP FOR 33 DAY 7 HOURS AND 30 MINUTES TO RAISE AS MUCH MONEY AS POSSIBLE..

 

Another 100+miles were clocked up today and at 12.52 GMT La Mondiale was 129 miles off Barbados.  She still has a very tricky North Coastline to negotiate and the Team have to remain alert and focused.  Preparations are being made for a big welcome at Port St Charles and we have been given such immense help from the warm and very friendly Barbadians.  Thank you.  It is Mike Tooth’s Birthday tomorrow and we will not say what age he is going to be!

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