Midlands farmers row the Atlantic and raise over £132,000

Midlands turkey farmer Rod Adlington and arable farmer Guy Minshull have completed their 3,200 mile trans-Atlantic row, reaching the shores of Antigua on Sunday morning (25 February).

The pair, together with Lancashire vet Anna Williams and serving paratrooper Alex Perry, made landfall in Jolly Harbour to a rapturous reception, having set off from Lanzarote 53 days before. 

See also: Midlands farmers prepare to row the Atlantic for charity

The crew, called The Brightsides, are raising money for cancer charity Get A-Head and for Meningitis Now, in memory of Rod’s young son Barney who succumbed to the disease aged just three in 2005. Farmers Weekly is proud to be a media partner.

Speaking to Farmers Weekly soon after his arrival in Antigua, 58-year old Rod said it was amazing to be on dry land again, though he admitted to being a bit “wobbly”. 

First priority was decent food and a beer, after two months of dried protein rations and desalinated sea water, followed by a shower and time with family on the beach.

© Map Atlantic Dash

Challenges

The crew has undoubtedly faced some very tough times. Before setting off, Rod told Farmers Weekly that his one big fear was the rogue wave – “that standing 60ft wall of water that comes out of nowhere and can flip a boat over, end to end”.

Mercifully that never happened, but Rod said they had experienced some major storms and colossal waves that the boat dealt with well.

The low point – apart from sore hands and blistered bums – was the periodic headwinds they faced, which meant the crew had to spend days at a time on the parachute anchor to avoid being blown back to West Africa.

“We were in a force 10 gale, the boat was almost vertical and we were sheltering in the small cabin, soaking wet. It was horrendous,” said Rod.

“But on the good days, when the boat is flying and you’re surfing down the waves, the feeling is incredible.”

© Map Atlantic Dash

Zebra fish

The highlight, however, was being with the wildlife in their own environment. “It’s hard to put into words. We saw massive marlin, swordfish, whales, turtles. We actually had two Zebra fish that stayed under the boat and came the whole way across with us.”

Tiredness was obviously a huge challenge, especially as sleeping during the daytime was not easy given the heat and that there was so much else to do, from preparing food to navigating.

“Two hours on, two hours off, 24 hours a day is exhausting, but you get used to it and just crack on,” said Rod.

“We did over 660 changeovers, and the only person who was late, just once, was me. Otherwise we never missed a beat. The fact that four relative strangers started this, have faced real adversity and have come through is a testament to the mindset of all concerned.”

Fundraising

Asked if he would do it again, Rod said that his fundraising days are far from over, though he needed time to reflect on what the next challenge would be.

So far, The Brightsides have raised over £132,000 for Get A-head and Meningitis now. To find out more or to make a donation, visit The Brightsides web page.