On 19 July 2007, a crew sponsored by Multiplex successfully rowed across the English Channel in three hours and seventeen minutes – the fastest crossing ever recorded in a four-man rowing boat!
Ranald McGregor writes, “The weather was good to us and it was a beautiful sunny day with a slight head wind… we were very lucky with the conditions.
We set off out of Dover Harbour at 8am. The water was choppy and waves were coming from every direction which made it difficult to keep the boat level, but we were moving well.
A massive Cross Channel Jet Ferry came quite close to us and threw up huge wash, giving us a good soaking.
Luckily we were escorted by a pilot boat that stopped us from getting run over by a ferry or a big ship. Without this pilot boat to guide us we would have been playing with fire.
The white cliffs of Dover slowly got smaller until they disappeared over the horizon. There was still no sign of France and for quite a while there was no land in sight.
Eventually France appeared through the haze in the distance. By this stage we were very tired but seeing land gave us a lift and we rowed harder.
The last few miles took forever but Cap Griz Nez finally came into view and we quickened the pace until the boat ran aground on the beach in France.
After the success of this row, the crew intends to have another go in 2008 to break the Official World Record for the fastest recorded English Channel crossing in a rowing boat, set by a 6 man crew in 1997.”
You can still make a donation to the Multiplex crew’s row - visit their bymycharity website.
Thank you very much to everyone who sponsored the Multiplex crew, helping them to raise more than £2,000!!!!
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