Where are the British Bulldogs?

[jollyjacktar]

I have just been looking at the web sites about the Atlantic Rowing Race. Dominating things at the moment are an Australian crew, a New Zealand male crew and a NZ female crew [Steph Brown & Jude Ellis] are in third place! They are amazed with their progress and are four days ahead of their schedule. A Belgium team is fourth.

What about the British, have all the good ones left and emigrated to the colonies? What about the dogged British bulldog breed? I read that a British crew, David & Jason Hart [cousins] , abandoned their boat, "Darmothian", and set it alight when the going got too tough [girlies blouses]. David had become disorienteted rowing at night and left Jason to row alone but he gave up after two more days!!! Another Englishman, Rob Ringer, withdrew after suffering mental stress, leaving his partner, Richard Wood to go it alone in the "Spirit of Worcestershire". Perhaps they should have taken their therapists along with them. Is this the spirit that made Britain great?

 

[steve_cronin]

Old Hat...

... we don't need to keep on doing it. Remember Chay Blyth & John Ridgeway in the 60's?

Steve Cronin

 

[Twister_Ken]

Wasn\'t it a Brit...

...who was first to row the Pacific?

Presumably the AFAs and the Kiwi fruits have come here to do the Atlantic because it's shorter.

 

[andrewhopkins]

I know how they feel

I rowed from to the Thetis pontoon from the harbour master in Cowes last saturday after 2 pints of London Pride and I was shattered.

Still, another beer sorted me out.

Perhaps we arent carrying enough alcohol ? I'm sure the aussies have some Castlemain XXXX and fosters (if you can call it beer) on board.

 

[Bergman]

Re:Non PC

Political Correctness is the reason.

Can't be British
Bull = MCP
Dog = Sexist

Anyone prepared to attempt such a thing must be young and will probably have been educated in a PC environment.

Therefore all the virtues you describe will have been actively discouraged, if not made illegal

Thats why we are becoming a nation of caring sharing wimps

 

[deejames]

I think the Brits are still in there somewhere.
Have a look at :
http://www.bbctechnology.com/rowing/

deejames

 

[jollyjacktar]

But this is a race!

This is the second Atlantic rowing race. The last one was won by a NZ crew about two weeks ahead of the second place. All those other rowing efforts around the world were just a casual paddling and drifting about in the ocean. I think a crew of two rowed the Atlantic did it in the 1920's or so and various others have drifted about and rowed a little on some of the other oceans. But what about that female team? If that is what NZ women can do I think the NZ men's team who are ahead must be something else. And the Aussies are apparently out in front. Wow.

Where are the Blyth & Ridgeways of today. They were great role models. PC has certainly taken its toll and turned us into non-competative, neutered whimps empathising, with the meadiocraty and saving the lesser spotted green moth or such like. It seems that all the more staunch British bulldogs were either deported to the colonies or in frustration of the system emmigratated on their own accord. We seem to worry more about having the correct boating shoes, or which way is up, or how to lay an immitation teak deck on our plasic tubs, or whether the club flappy things are flying from the correct crosstrees. Now I am getting really depressed and grumpy. Aaaaaaah! I will stop now while I'm ahead and go and get happy again.

 

[Guest]

Re: I know how they feel

Careful now, Fosters is our biggest export beer because nobody here would touch the S%^t. But don't you knock XXXX. It got it's name because we couldn't spell beer very well.

As for the Kiwi's they are in training for rowing as they need to be ready for when Air New Zealand crashes. They already did a number on Ansett bringing it to it's knees, soon they will have to row to Australia to pick up their social security checks.....

 

[Guest]

Re: I know how they feel

JJT, I suggest you throw your weight behind my cousin Will Mason and his companion Tim Thurnham, Englishmen bold and true who are mentally strong, physically well-prepared and rowing their hearts out in 8th place (last time I looked). You could send them an e-mail of support!

 

[jollyjacktar]

Roger, wilco

There are some good solid chaps doing their thing and making a good go of it. I guess the whimps who can not keep the pace and need to hug their therapists are not your typical British stock, but merely the product of the PC breed.

Like the Derwood said, it looks as though those Kiwi and Aussie teams are trying to emigrate again or perhaps they are going to pick up their welfare cheques so are driven by other desperate means. Well maybe not. I have a high regard for all of them that have stuck with the race.