Every year, an armada of nutters sets off to row the Atlantic in titchy boats. The voyage from the Canary Islands to Antigua takes months to complete and the crossing is entirely self-supported: huge food rations, communications and safety equipment are stashed in every nook and cranny while fragile pumps fight to turn sea water into something vaguely quaffable.
I'm not quite sure why anyone does it: it's bizarre, comical and captivating in equal measure. So it was with cautious interest that I attended the Talisker Atlantic Rowing Challenge launch party beneath Tower Bridge last week.
The Atlantic Challengers rowed on adapted Concept2 ergometers to power an outdoor cinema screening of The Crossing. While there are plenty of films they could have chosen (A Perfect Storm, Deep Blue Sea and Titanic immediately spring to mind), The Crossing documents James Cracknell and Ben Fogle's 2008 Atlantic rowing attempt. James Cracknell was on hand to offer commentary: "Plenty of you have asked me if I'd row the Atlantic again. You won't ask anyone that question once you've crossed the Atlantic yourselves".
I couldn't get within arms reach of Cracknell - I need longer arms - so I spent my time with two girls poised to begin their own crossing in December. Rowing the Atlantic is a natural progression for Hannah and Jessie (or Team Inspirational Friends as they are collectively known), upgrading their racing on the waters of Dorney Lake and the River Thames for a much bigger pond.
The girls are motivated by the memory of a crew mate, Elle Ellis, who came up against a challenge of her own in being diagnosed with cervical cancer at 21. It's fitting that Inspirational Friends is raising money for Myton Hospice and Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust in recognition for their support for Elle. As I talk to other challengers, each one has a story to tell, a personal goal or a driving force behind their crossing, and many of them are raising a huge amount of money for their chosen charities in addition. I admit that why anyone decides to cross a pitching, rolling and bloody powerful ocean is becoming clearer.
Anyway, I said earlier that rowing the Atlantic is comical, and I still stand by that - just ask any Atlantic rower how they go to the toilet. Throughout the evening, there's a disturbing amount of chatter about bottom sores and naked rowing too. I got to taste some dehydrated food - standard fare for all of the challengers. I once had to eat a gloopy kidney bean 'expedition chilli' for lunch and dinner for an entire month, but I'm pleased to note the dehydrated food industry is no longer such a horror. It has made some advancements - one tiny packet of strawberry pudding or tikka masala contains a whopping 800 calories, which will go some way towards providing the 5,000 or so calories needed on any one day.
Inspirational Friends are supported by University of the West of England who incidentally were involved with the Bloodhound Project, the forthcoming 1,000mph attempt on the Land Speed Record. I love a bit of innovation, so if you're on Twitter or Facebook the girls are surely worth a follow: @insfriends / insfriends.org.uk
