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51 days 16 hours 42 minutes
New World Record set on 23 July in Virgin GB Row 2010
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Sgt James Bastin
Date of Birth 10/05/70



I am 34 year old single Sergeant in the Grenadier Guards, I was born in Stroud, Gloucestershire and was brought up and went to school in Dursley, Gloucestershire. I left school at the earliest opportunity to join the Army, which I did in January 1987 as a Junior Guardsman at the Guards Depot in Pirbright Surrey. Ten months later I passed out as a Guardsman, and was posted to the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards at Oxford Barracks in Germany.
 
Throughout my Army career I have been kept busy with operational tours to Northern Ireland, The Gulf and Bosnia and conducted training exercises in Germany, Denmark, Canada, Kenya, Brunei, Norway and America. I have also spent time at training establishments training recruits and Junior Non-Commissioned Officers. During my career I have had the opportunity to take part in a large number of adventurous training activities such as climbing expeditions in the Alps, Atlas and Canadian Rockies, white-water kayaking in the United Kingdom, Alps, and the Rockies. I am also a keen skier of high mountain trail, downhill and cross-country and have skied in many different countries. My most recent interest is surfing.
 
My interest in rowing has risen solely from Concept 2 rowing machines which I use as a fitness training aid. I have never rowed in a rowing boat before. The reason I started to use the Concept 2 machine was mainly due to the fact that their light weight and relatively small dimensions means that no matter where you are on operations or exercising there is generally (always) a Concept 2 rower begging to be used. So when the opportunity to get out on the high seas for real surfaced, I couldn’t let it pass.
 
When not at work I spend my time working on my house, tinkering with old cars, sailing around the Devon and Cornish coastline, and visiting friends and family.


James Bastin's Online Diary - click here to read