Northerners and 70 Year Olds Solo Rowing The Atlantic

[Dave100456]

Having "met" and chatted with the Rowing Marine mid ocean in 2018 The Rowing Marine – A Solo Adventure – The Second Atlantic Crossing | Lee Spencer I followed today's start of the race.

It's great that 70 year old Frank Rothwell is attempting the crossing (all self funded) and in spite of him coming from the wrong side of the Pennines I'm happy to support his charity. Good on yer Frank!

Interesting that of the 8 solo entrants; 7 are Brits, 5 of whom are Northerners with 3 confirmed Yorkshire lads/lasses. Is it that Northerners don't get on with folk or are we happiest paddling our own canoe?

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Northern Brits are so used to having their needs ignored by the London-centric south east that being on their own in middle of nowhere seems oddly familiar

 

[Bajansailor]

He mentions beating Stein Hoff's 'record' of 96 days by 36 days - Stein had set the record simply because nobody had rowed that course before.
Stein later rowed singlehandedly across the North Atlantic 4 years ago at the young age of 70 - he had set off from New York, aiming for the Scillies, but after 80 odd days when he was approaching Europe he was clobbered by a storm - he was repeatedly rolled through 360 degrees (he was shut inside the cabin - it must have been like being inside a washing machine), and both pairs of oars were broken.
He set off his EPIRB, but was just outside the range of the rescue helicopters ashore, so a large Oldendorff bulk carrier picked him up - quite an achievement for a 100,000+ tonne bulk carrier to come alongside a little rowing boat in gale force winds and still large seas.

If you scroll back through his Facebook page to 2016 (you don't have to scroll too far), he describes it all very well.
Oh, and he has also written a book.....
Stein Hoff - Atlantic Row 2016