Race Directors Journal

New Blog from Josh Tarr on Savoir Faire.

Incredible day yesterday. We made a big push and covered much more distance than we’d hoped with both of us on the oars. We both needed to eat and rest so I stayed on for a couple hours whilst Jay got some food and very little sleep! At that point where Jay closed the hatch and I was left with a light northerly wind pushing us in the right direction, the rowing was very easy.

I settled in for a couple minutes reflecting on some of what we’ve been through and it felt like we were now being allowed to cruise home. It sounds strange but it felt like we’d done it, past all the adversity, the unfavourable weather, the technically challenging parts of the British Isles and now this last part is a formality. I shouldn’t speak too soon because rowing 90 miles down to and up the Thames is as good a challenge as any but in relation to what we’ve already done it feels very comfortable.

  With all this in mind, I had a moment, music on, looking past the stern there was some city lights and that light orange haze all around them. I tipped my head back to look straight up and it was one of the clearest skies we’ve had. If this was a film then it could easily have run the credits at that point.

 Big love, JT x

Six hours together on the oars last night, meant Jason McKinlay and Josh Tarr made real progress towards the finish of GBRow 2013 – the world’s toughest rowing race.

At the start of day 39 at sea, the pair from Salcombe, Devon are now around 90 miles from the finish at Tower Bridge in London. At the moment, we expect them home early afternoon on Friday (July 12).

That means it will have taken them 41 days to row around the British mainland – a new Guinness World Record for this epic feat.

In a call to race HQ this morning from near Southwold on the Suffolk coast, Josh said: “We are please at how we’re doing. We’re ahead of where we thought we would be.

“We rowed together for six and a half hours last night with the tide and were making six knots at times. I stayed on the oars for two more hours after that to allow Jason to rest.

“But by the time Jason came on for his shift, the tide was too strong. So at 02.30, we anchored for a while. We now have a tail wind blowing about 12 knots and with just Jason on the oars, we are rowing at four knots.

“Our plan is to only have one on the oars when we have the tide with us, changing shifts every two hours. But when the tide is against us, we will double up and keep going,

“The tide is due to turn again this afternoon at about 13.00 – 14.00.”

 

Savoir Faire are at anchor just south of Happisburgh on the Norfolk coast, 139miles from the GBRow 2013 finish. At this stage it now looks likely they will reach Tower Bridge early on Friday afternoon (July 12). This will be revised during the week as they approch London.

After making the 100-mile crossing from North Yorkshire to North Norfolk, Jason McKinlay and Josh Tarr both posted blogs that tell the tale of the big crossing:

Epic few days – An update from both of us now we have signal!

From Hartlepool we made a big push to Bridlington, an ambitious target time was set and it was hard work through the sweltering heat..

The coastguard was flying around looking for a kid that had been swept out to sea in a small boat, a kayaker was helping with information through the VHF and thankfully all worked out and the kid got… back safe! It’s a tricky place the coast!

We needed to anchor up for a few hours yesterday morning and shortly after getting comfortable in the cabin we heard a loud snorting next to us?! Neil (the seal) was literally a meter from us, we both squeezed our heads out the hatch at the back (stern) and watched him sweeping back and forth past the back of the boat, knocking the rudder! Really cool but we needed some sleep..

We set off again, made good time and arrived early to Bridlington! The plan was to regroup and see whether an open crossing to Norfolk would be feasible based on wind and tides.. All looking good we kept going ahead of schedule! A great couple days followed, blessed with fair weather!

We’ll try to post about our individual experiences on the oars but anyone that has been following the brick can see we’re anchored just off the Norfolk coast ready to work our way around to the mouth of the Thames at 6am!

It’s so difficult to tell still but our best guess at this stage is arriving at tower bridge on Friday, we’re doing our best! Spirits are high and we’re keen to make every bit of progress we can. The tides are strong around here so we need to play it smart and make the most of the windows.

We should have signal from now on so there’ll be a few more updates coming your way as we go..

See you soon

Josh & Jay x

Savoir Faire are now just four miles off the north Norfolk coast, near Sheringham and more importantly less than 160 miles to the finish.

In a text to race HQ overnight, Jason McKinlay predicts they will reach Tower Bridge in London for a Friday/Saturday finish. We will be able to predict the finish with much more accuracy as the week progresses.

In his message after two days rowing across 100 miles of open sea from Flamborough Head to Norfolk, Jason wrote: “Epic few days. Loved the gruelling rowing and we had come through some physically tough days. We’ve both worked hard to hit the goals and stay on target for a Friday/Saturday finish. So finger crossed.” 

 

After clocking up 42 miles yesterday, team Savoir Faire have set themselves target of 50 miles today. If they manage to achieve that they will be at Flamborough Head, near Bridlington, by 10.00 tomorrow.

In a phone call to race HQ from off the North Yorkshire coast near Whitby, Josh Tarr said: “Once we reach Bridlington we’ll have a big decision to make. Do we head straight to the north Norfolk coast? That’s a journey of about 100 miles.Or do we keep hugging the coast?

“The wind is forecast to drop from about 21.00 and then swing round to the north tomorrow. A tail wind would certainly help us to make the crossing direct to Norfolk.”

Savoir Faire now have less than 270 miles to the finish. Keep you eyes on the tracker overnight, folks, to see how they get on.

It is five weeks exactly since GBRow 2013 began at Tower Bridge in London at 08.16 on June 1 when six boats set off to race unassisted around mainland Britain.

After 35 days at sea, Josh Tarr and Jason McKinlay of Team Savoir Faire are still racing and chasing a new Guinness World Record for a pair of rowers.

In their two-man boat, they had hoped to reach the finish at Tower Bridge in under 40 days. With less than 300 miles to go and the wind forecast to change in their favour they could return towards the end of next week.

Josh and Jason managed to row through the night again last night and are now off Hartlepool, where they are still battling against south-westerly winds.

But from tomorrow the wind is forecast to switch to a north-easterly, which will help increase their daily mileage. In thos conditions, will they follow race winners the Islanders and ‘go for the drop’ and row direct from Flamborough Head near Bridlington to the north Norfolk coast?

Or, will they be forced to hug the Lincolnshire coast, before crossing The Wash? Keep watching the tracker, folks!