ROW THE WORLD
"Below the forties there is no Law, Below the Fifties there is no God". This is an ancient mariners saying alluding to the wild and inhospitable waters to be found in the Southern Ocean at the bottom of our planet.
In due course Olly Hicks will begin his new expedition and take on the Southern Ocean where he will attempt a world first in adventure and endeavor, to Row The World solo.
THE ROUTE
THE VOYAGE
It will be the longest voyage ever completed in a rowing boat and is one of the few ‘last great firsts’ left in the world of exploration. The expedition will take Olly beneath the three Great Capes of South America, South Africa and Australia – through the notorious Southern Ocean.
With over 18,000 miles to cover it is anticipated to take two years to complete including a 2-3 month stop to resupply and winter over in the Falklands or South Georgia.
THE BOAT
The boat has been designed by the renowned naval architect Phil Morrison and will be built at the Rannoch Boat Yard in Essex, England which has a history of building both record breaking and custom ocean rowing boats.
The Forward living section is divided into two watertight compartments, optimising survivability and making the boat self righting in the event of a capsize. The rear cabin contains the steering equipment and storage, the mid cabin is the living area for navigating and cooking and the forward section is for sleeping and communications.
The boat is streamlined and made as small as possible to minimise adverse windage and take advantage of the prevailing following winds. The boat is equipped to carry enough supplies for 240 days.
The rowing deck seems exposed but is carefully designed to ensure visibility over the rear cabin, this allows the rower to steer the boat safely throughout the course of the journey.
The boat is made from a very strong but light Carbon Fibre & Kevlar foam sandwich construction. The shell of the hull is light enough to be lifted by one man prior to fitting out. The underwater profile is optimised for surfing the Southern Ocean swells, the daggerboard and rudder enable the boat to keep on the best course.
OCEAN CONSERVANCY & EDUCATION
Olly will be working in close conjunction with the Blue Marine Foundation to raise awareness and funds for the need to create Marine Protected Areas in our fragile oceans.
Digital Explorer will work alongside Olly to bring inspirational lessons from the Oceans directly into the classroom in real time throughout the expedition via satellite communications.
The company has a proven track record linking frontiers of knowledge with schools by bringing real science and exploration live to the classroom - They do this by creating unique collaborations between explorers, scientists, teachers and pupils.
WHERE'S OLLY NOW?
During the expedition you will be able to follow Olly’s voyage via his satellite tracker.
Find out more about Olly’s preparations ahead of the ‘last great first’ through his social channels below.