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The Salty Sappers
In our last Tommy Club magazine, we introduced you to the Salty Sappers and their ocean rowing boat ‘Victory’ – the first ever Tommy Club branded boat! With less than eight weeks to go before they begin an epic attempt to row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic, we catch up with their final preparations.
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The team consists of four serving Sappers: one Junior Non-Commissioned Officer (JNCO), a Warrant Officer and two Officers. All have a varied background in adventurous undertakings and together they will make for one mighty engine room!
Over the summer, the Sappers have undergone extensive training during the build up to their race, including mandatory training in sea survival, seamanship, navigation and maritime communications. This training will ensure the crew can operate and maintain the boat’s communication and navigation equipment as well as the life saving ‘water maker’ desalination unit.
In July the team had some tough training in the English Channel. Despite battling strong headwinds and poor visibility, they successfully circumnavigated the Isle of Wight in just over 15 hours.
During the challenge the team will need to row non-stop for up to five weeks, adopting a testing two-hours-on, twohours-off rotation. They will face sea-sickness, fatigue, blisters and the extreme conditions of the Atlantic Ocean, where the waves can reach up to 40 feet.
The Sappers will be competing against 18 other four-person teams, including a team of U.S. Army veterans and four RAF pilots.
JOSH, TIM, CHRIS W AND CHRIS H The Salty Sappers
Support the Salty Sappers by donating at: justgiving.com/fundraising/Salty-Sappers All donations made via this link will go straight to RBLI
The Salty Sappers will depart mid-December as part of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge. Visit taliskerwhiskyatlanticchallenge.com to watch the live start and download the race tracker.
