South African part of record ocean row attempt
EIGHT adventurers, including South African Cameron Bellamy, were due to meet this morning to begin final preparations for their record-breaking 8 000km rowing journey across the Indian Ocean – from Geraldton, Australia, to Durban.
From today, the Scotia Explorer, a purpose-built boat to be crewed by athletes from the UK, South Africa, Australia, Iceland and Italy, will be put through its last test runs.
The world-renowned Leven Brown, a Scotsman, will skipper the crew.
If successful, this will possibly be the longest nonstop rowing feat ever completed.
The most recent attempt was last year by Ralph Tuijn, whose boat was swamped when it collided with a container ship. Tuijn was injured but survived.
The crew will share cramped space aboard without leaving the boat, other than for a quick dip in the shark-infested sea.
The 13.7m Scotia Explorer has a carbon-constructed monohull that will right itself if capsized by waves that can reach 24m.
The voyage is a dream come true for Bellamy after more than 10 years.
A former Rhodes University student who grew up in Cape Town, he represented South Africa at the under-23 world rowing championships in 2003 and at the world university rowing championships in 2004.
“I feel very privileged to do this with such an accomplished crew. Being able to literally row home makes this extremely special to me,” Bellamy said.
All supplies will be carried by the crew. Each crew member will get a daily ration pack containing three freeze-dried meals and snacks.
Brown told The Star: “The rest of the ration pack is made up of dried fruit, nuts and, the biggest secret, four chocolate bars, as we basically just need to get calories.
“We’ll burn 8 000 to 10 000 calories a day, but will still be running on a calorie deficit,” he said.
They will row in shifts of two hours on, two hours off for the duration of the row.
Fresh water will be another necessity as temperatures will reach more than 40ºC.
The crew will make their own water from a solar- and wind-powered water maker. Two back-up hand pumps are at hand if electricity is lost.
Brown has rowed four oceans – his longest effort being 123 days – but this Indian Ocean row will be the furthest in terms of distance.
He has also rowed through four hurricanes in a solo crossing of the Atlantic.
Weather permitting, the team will leave Geraldton on May 15 and aim to arrive in Durban in mid- to late July.
Before starting the Ubunye Challenge, a fundraising platform where Bellamy and others attempt endurance feats while raising money for charities, Bellamy cycled solo across China, central Asia and India in 2009.
After a South African-based Ubunye Challenge crew is set to attempt breaking the speed record for rowing across the Atlantic Ocean.
Follow the Indian Ocean journey on www.ubunyechallenge.com