Complex tides and constantly shifting weather make circumnavigating Britain a tough job. It needs good navigation skills as well as experience of coastal sea conditions. If you are rowing against the clock in a non-stop race in which competitors won’t set foot on dry land until it is over, you need to back up this expertise with the strength, stamina and determination that go with being an elite athlete.
This is the GB Row Challenge, the prestigious Annual Around Great Britain Rowing Race. This year, three teams - Albatross, All Systems Row and Sea Legs - will form up at the start/finish line on 12 June at London’s Tower Bridge on the Thames. As well as competing against each other, they will be aiming to beat the Guinness World Record race time of 26 days, set in 2013 by a four-man crew called the Islanders. According to GB Row founders Will de Laszlo and Jim Bastin, the race is “the toughest rowing challenge in the world”. Their vision for the race...