Race Directors Journal

Far have we travelled and much have we seen…could certainly be the anthem for Josh Tarr and Jason McKinlay of Team Savoir Faire as they row at nearly four knots up the west coast of the Mull of Kintyre.

The pair from Salcombe, Devon are now in Scottish waters and have a fair wind and tide to take to their next objctive, the Isle of Skye bridge, which they hope to reach by Tuesday.

Meanwhile, 35miles north of the Skye Bridge, GBRow 2013 race leaders the Islanders are stuck at anchor.

In a message to race HQ Alan Morgan onboard the Islanders’ boat the Black Oyster wrote: “Today is all about keeping our morale up. We really pushed ourselves hard over the last few days and we’ve been stopped again by head wind and swell.

“With almost no tide to help us out we’re stuck…Frustration doesn’t even do the feeling justice.”

At the end of day 15, race leaders in GBRow 2013 the world’s toughst rowing race, the Islanders are approaching the tidal races at Cape Wrath, the most north-westerly point in the race.

By 10pm they were just below Ullapool and so far north it is dark for just three hours during the night, from about midnight until  3am. Gavin Sheehan and James Plumley were on the oars when the Islanders’ boat, the Black Oyster slipped beneath the world-famous Skye Bridge.

In their wake trailed 20 seals that followed the 24-foot rowing boats for miles – there’s some amazing video footage from the Black Oyster on our home page tonight.

During the afternoon, a crew from BBC One’s Coast show caught up with the Isladners, north of the village of Applecross. GBRow Race Director Chris Usborne was on the boast and reported that the Islanders were doing well.

John O’Groats, the most northerly point in the 2,000-mile journey is currently 120 miles away  and skipper Josh Taylor expects to rach there on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Josh Tarr and Jason McKinlay in Savoir Faire are making nealry 4knots, north of Larne are expected to cross the North Channel between northern Ireland and the Isle of Mull during the night.

Keep your eyes peeled on the tracker folks and wish them a safe crossing to Scotland.

Dedicated Row to Oliver Jay Mckinlay 

My little boy has been with me almost every stroke but this 2 hour last session his smiling face was there constantly in my thoughts.

 Ollie couldn’t make the start from Tower Bridge due to contracted a virus in his eye a few days before. Doctors at the hospital reassured Sarah and I that he was absolutely on the mend or I wouldn’t be here now.

 This row, indeed all my challenges, are about endeavour. They are also about dreaming and dreaming big.

 Erling Kagge (one of my favourite writers) said “Find your own North Pole to conquer”… For me, it’s all about writing a story…

 Today’s page will be full and hopefully so will tomorrow’s. My children will get to read this story in years to come and hopefully see something worth reading..

 For my boy. I love you with all my heart.

 Daddy xxx

 The Islanders are now heading towards Tobermory and the iconic Skye Bridge in western Isles of Scotland on their 2,000-mile rowing odyssey around Britain’s mainland.

 Josh Taylor and his crew of Alan Morgan, James Plumley and Gavin Sheehan now have a lead of more than 170miles over second-place Savoir Faire, who are still in the Irish Sea,  just south of Belfast.

 Last night, the Islanders reached speeds of six knots as they used the southerly squalls to good effect to push their boat the Black Oyster along in the sea off the island of Jura.

  In a brief message to GBRow 2013 Race HQ, Alan Morgan revealed that last night they ran into an 8knot tide that threatened to carry thme back the ay they had come.

  So, anchoring in the safety of a natural harbour at the north end of Jura, the Islanders waited for the tide to turn back in their favour but over slept slightly.

 This morning they faced the treacherous Corryvreckan whirlpools, between Jura and the island of Scarba, but they managed to row straight across the swirling currents that catch many boats unawares with out any problems.

  This afternoon, the Islanders were rowing at 3.4knots through the Sound of Mull towards Tobermory and tomorrow’s objective the Kyle of Lochalsh and the world-famous Skye Bridge.

 

 

 

Jason McKinlay on Savoir Faire filed this latest blog on Jun 14, from just north of Dublin:

Anchored up again at last waiting for storm to pass. Gale force winds up to 48mph coming through in the next few hours… Had to get out of the wind and shelter. We’re in Clogherhead until 1am then out again…

This decision was made after speaking to our Nav guy on land who suggested we didn’t push on as was our thought at the time. It’s easy to look at what’s happening now and go hard… The reassuring words “you just don’t want to be in that weather” mean that Mike Broughton is doing exactly what we need at these times.Still in the game…

Earlier Jason wrote: Just finished my 2 hour slot 11:30-01:30 and time for a nap. The sequence of events as today unfolded, as Josh said, meant we were stuck in the cabin most of the day so great to get back out on the oars after our longest enforced stop… Hopefully not too many of them…Holding 3-5 knots between us, one at a time… Nice!

GBRow 2013, the world’s toughest rowing race has now reached Scotland, after 13 days of competition 

Race leaders, four-man team the Islanders, last night safely made the 12-mile crossing between Ulster and the Mull of Kintyre.

 Alan Morgan, from Mersea Island, Essex, told how their tiny 24-foot-long rowing boat, the Black Oyester, encountered a gigantic container ship, the Mirana, in the middle of the North Channel.

 As the huge ship loomed out of the darkness, Alan and Josh on the oars, were able to avoid a collision by waiting until the vessel’s towering sides had passed and rowed past her stern.

 Alan said: “As we approached the Mull of Kintyre, on Josh’s instruction, we turned just before we hit the tidal races and headed due north, with the wind behind us. We saw a beautiful sunrise and now we are heading up the Mull towards Oban and Tobermoray.”

 More than 125 miles south, in the Irish Sea second-place Savoir Faire have made 30 miles since leaving Dun Loaghaire harbour last night.

 Josh Tarr and Jason McKinlay could reach Belfast by tonight and be in Scottish waters over the weekend, if the weather holds.