Atlantic Rowing Race update: Charlie Pitcher won the Race

The pontoon.es blog has a post about the race which includes a picture of Charlie after the finish.

I am back to light training in the gym and realise my body is still very tired from it's ordeal, despite finishing the Atlantic Rowing Race two weeks ago. Some stats -  Bench press before  race,110kg and after....struggling with 70kg! All arms raises down about 30% and feeling very lethargic on the super new running machine, nothing like my previous form. So, alot of work to do in the next six weeks! It was great to see my old pals there and everyone has been so positive about my ventures. Thanks Roz again! My weight is now 77kg, 1kg more than when I got back from the MdS and 13kg lighter than when I weighed in at the start of the row. My legs have been sprouting surface spots over the last two weeks. This is the different toxins finding their way out as a result of a drastic change in diet and calorie intake. I really think my diet out on the sea was pretty healthy excepting a lack of fresh vitamins,maybe. However, my back (still knotted) and core muscles are as strong as they have ever been.

To the race out there - I'm looking at the weather reports and maps and the tracking maps of the boats on their way in to Antigua. I can't help but think Roberto Coin is suffering from strong northerly currents, but Patience has managed to keep south. There is one hell of a dual forming here and I know exactly what they are going through. What I can say is they are both entering the worst part of the strong northerly current which they MUST fight to get across. This is where the equatorial current runs up the side of the shallower waters on the edge of the islands. It eases right off about 40 miles from the finish,or did so for me anyway. I can remember this cross current and cross wind rowing as being the hardest part of my row. The crew must fight over exhaustion and pain to get across this stretch before they should consider a break. I thought it was impossible, but when Jonathan Cornelious (ABSAR) basically told me not to stop and I mustered my last morsels of strength and got across, oh how right he was! Of course if the wind is too strong, then Charlie and Matthew, Nick and Jonni will not have an option.

These boys and the others just behind them will be so frustrated. The weather is playing BAD tricks on them, BUT it looks as though there may be a little bit of northerly wind over the next few days. If anyone gets it...row, row, row SOUTH as much as you can and don't stop!! I spent the last three weeks of my row fighting to stay south...every minute and I just got lucky on the very last day!

My thoughts are with my fellow rowers, my heart is with my darling wife, my body is at work. Each component in it's rightful place.

Well how is work and normal life again? - I am very happy and enjoying all aspects of being back, but sometimes I wish I had a twin brother!

 

Another boat rows safely into English Harbour. Karukera finished early today making them 3rd overall. I would say the french pair aboard were the most confident and experienced crew of all the pairs. They took a gamble by staying more north in the earlier stages, but it was not the trump card for this year's race. Whilst they dived for the south to protect their leading pairs position, they missed QBE crossing their path in a westerley direction, giving the young guns the lead. From then until the the last stages of the race, it was a hard fought dual, but they were never to catch QBE in time. Well done to Karukera for their excellent  final position.

I am writing from my burea at home. This feels really odd, infact I feel completely out of place. Although work is good and enjoyable, England is great and the gym was a welcome this morning, I wish I was back in Antigua at the finish where I belong for the time being. I am just watching another man's race online, just as I was in 2007 when I was putting together my own campaign for 2009.  I was welcomed home with a huge surprise party by my close neighbours and many people since then have shook my handand praised my efforts. However, it is still hard to register what I have done  and sometimes I get cross because "shouldn't I be getting all emotional about my acheivement?". Not this man.

I was in my element on the sea and want to go back there. I feel comfortable and confident on the water, but would never leave my family behind again for such a long time. I am so glad and lucky to have such loving support from those around me, but I am also envious of those who are still out there rolling on the high seas of the unforgiving Atlantic Ocean.

Felsted: Rower's Atlantic jaunt ends in victory

 

A piece on Charlie finishing in Antigua, including video of him at the finish. Starts around 2mins 40sec into the video.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xcgodn_bbc-look-east-the-general-election_news

Under the rowing section:

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/yb/141823912

First soloist finishes ocean-rowing race to make history

Ocean rowing update

I have been looking at all the Justgiving donations since leaving the UK two months ago. I am absolutely in awe of everyone's effort and generosity. Some people have also sent donations direct to ACT and I have more donations to bank on Monday. We are easily going to be knocking on the door to £40K very soon.

THANK YOU EVERYONE. I will update the donator's page on the website tomorrow.

Just weighed in - I have lost 11 kg in weight (about the amount I put on for the event).

 

 

Simon called me at midnight to tell me to get down to the ABSAR centre ready to go out to find James and Ollie who were three miles from the finish. Jonathan Cornelious, Charles, James, Simon and myself left Falmouth Harbour at 0115 local time and ventured out into the Atlantic under a bright moon. The sea was quite big and the wind was blowing about 12 - 15 knots from the east. After searching and collecting a few wet ones for half an hour, we spotted a weak light right on course for the finish. There were the boys.

James and Ollie were in high spirits and it was obviously James' turn on the oars as Ollie was doing all the chatting and looking around. Their chartered Mothership had all their family on-board and was running alongside. They finished in 59 days and 16 hours to win the Pairs Class in style. I never doubted their strength, it was a great moment and yet again, I quietly shed a few more tears for the joy of seeing my mates again after such a long time, knowing they had had a harder battle to keep their pole position than I had.

We all celebrated onshore amidst red and white flares, champagne, rum  tears, laughter and inquisitive eyes hooked on the boys. Had they lost weight? How did they look? etc. Both were sporting beards, James looked taller then ever, but was on maximum painkillers to relieve the problems he had with his right shoulder and elbow. I could see he was not all there, but standing well. Ollie had definitely lost weight and was as chatty as ever and seemed as normal as the day we last had a beer together. The girlfriends, Victoria and Illie were all over them, despite their sea fairing odour! A great morning never to be forgotten.

These boys are super and I look forward to many more days on the water with them, but our next weapon of choice will be the RS Elite, a very fast three man sailing boat designed by Phil Morrison, the man that also designed my boat!

It is my last day and we have packed up and checked out, so I have a few more hours on the beach before setting off for the airport. This time tomorrow I shall be at home in Essex feeding the washing machine and taking stock of everything I left behind on 23rd December when I last saw it all.

I do hope James and Ollie will be able to make it to the Royal Burnham Yacht Club's Fitting out Dinner on the 13th March, but one step at a time, eh? The next boat to finish will be Karukera sometime tomorrow.

Single Handed WInner

Pitcher reaches Antigua to win Atlantic rowing race

Come in Boat #9, your time is up and the celebrations await you. As I write this blog, James and Ollie are about 42 miles from the finish. it is 1000 local time and the wind is blowing a steady 12 - 15 knots from the SE. I hope they have managed to get far enough south for their final approach to Glory. Looking at their position of 16`57 N, I would imagine they will be getting a few little waves over their port quarter, but pushing them all the way home. I guess they will cross the line about midnight tonight, unless they pull up for a rest and decide to delay the finish until daylight tomorrow morning.

I know how hard these guys have worked for this well deserved victory as we have been training together all last year. I never thought they would be "also rans" in this race. Their combined strength and attitude, the solid boat with a good track record and planning put them in the "favorite to win" spot before we started. With good seamanship, skill and covering the comptetition, QBE has led the pairs class most of the way, despite a long dual with the French Karekura for most of the way.

I will be at the dockside to welcome these brilliant young sailors in whenever they arrive. They have become close friends and as we have been training together, their result will give "The Burnham Team" a double victory and 1st, 2nd overall. It can't get better than that!

It will be really interesting to see how they have coped and to compare their situation with that of mine from last Thursday when I finished.

Thanks for the questions that are dribbling in. I'm going to answer them in another blog. How do I feel now? - Happy, tired and sore. Now that I have had a lovely rest with my family, I am looking forward to relaxing in my own home shortly and getting back to my day to day living in Essex and London.

It was James' 8th birthday yesturday. Natalie, the chef aboard Mirabella V and Roca, the Captain, showed us over the World's largest Sailing boat . Her mast is 100m tall and James and Freddie went up 50m in a special lift. She is enormous at 250 feet long and has 16 crew. The toys onboard include 2 x jet skis, 4 x laser sailing dinghies, 4 x canoes, 3 x large powerboats, bicycles, model sailing boats, 2 x swimming pools and a gym. The freezer is as big as my utility room at home! My rowing boat would fit into one of her swimming pools. Wasn't James a lucky boy (and me!).

Tomorrow is our last day in Antigua.

Rower Charlie Pitcher claims solo Atlantic record

Solo rower wins the race across the Atlantic Ocean

After the whale vanished, the ABSAR boat transferred my two boys from ZigZag to my boat and we proceeded to row into English Harbour. I was utterly exhausted and the thought of rowing for another hour crossed my mind, but with a good current under us, we seemed to move along effortlessly. What did I want? - a lovely juicy orange and an apple. What did I get? - a chilled bottle of water. Looking at my boys pulling the steering ropes as we glided into a busy harbour, I realised how much they had changed since I last saw them over two months ago. My mind had ceased to function, but not as I thought it would and surprisingly I did not brake down in tears of relief and joy. More and more boats joined the parade, more horns, clapping and cheering until Jonathan (ABSAR) piloted me to the dockside at The Copper and Lumber Store at Nelson's Dockyard. There was a huge reception of people awaiting my arrival. I was amazed with the amount of people who turned up and on stepping ashore, Chalky sprayed Champagne over me, down my throat (nice) and over the boat. It was just like winning a Grand Prix. Lots of questions, looking this way and that, talking to strange people and posing for camera shots.

Then I saw my Emma right in front of me and everything else went blur. When we embraced and kissed each other, I realised it was all over. Tears welled up in my eyes. I had finished my Atlantic row and I was back with my loving family. Wobbling on my feet, I embraced the rest of my family and close friends who had followed my story and come to see me finish. Everything still seemed a blur as we celebrated right there on the dockside with lots of people...then the lights went out! I semi collapsed and was carried away to a quiet room by Jonathan Money, Emma and Livvy. I was left alone and broke down with the enormity of what I'd done after rowing the hardest 16 hours of my race and knowing I didn't have to lift another oar. The body had had enough.

Later, after a shower and a change of clothes, I was a new man and ready to party! Many people were still by the boat and I rejoined the celebration and was able to chat more normally. Stuart and Emma Robinson took us all to the Admiral's Inn for dinner and couldn't believe how "alive" I was. It must have been adrenalin as I was also confused about my ability to party after what I had just done, but I did not drink any alcohol or very little.

It is now several days since I finished. I have spent a quiet day by the beach with Emma, James and Freddie. We had the most wonderful day sailing Stay Calm in a good breeze to Green Island for a BBQ and have spent lots of time as a group of friends swimming, dining and partying, but my mind has still not registered what I have done, the last two years of training and the taste of victory.

I remember being diagnosed with a very high Adrenal level by Anthony Haines during my training period, which is probably why I have had the ability to keep going despite a high output level. I'll speak about this later, but although I feel totally normal, my body is feeling sore. It is five days since finishing which is the longest period I have rested my body from exercise for the last three years or more. My finger joints are very sore and stiff. My lower back and knee joints are very sore and I can feel all the muscle groups contracting as they are haven't had to warm up and stretch all the time. I will be back at my normal gym in London next week to start all over again. Physio at Work will be able to work on my back, which has some "knots" on the right side and we can see if there has been any "damage", which I doubt.

Now it is time to organise slipping my boat and getting her ready to ship back to England. I will get this out of the way and then to concentrate on the 2nd boat soon to finish, QBE Insurance Challenger, rowed by my team mates, Ollie and James, due in on Friday morning, hours before we take a plane back home.

FAQ'S - Please ask what ever questions you like over the next few days and I'll put my answers in another blog for some interesting reading. Here's the first answer to the most obvious one...yes, I did have enough toilet roll left. In fact, I had 14 squares spare!

I would like to say a huge thank you to Stuart and Emma Robinson for their very generous donation towards the cause which will help boost our funds for Addenbrookes Charitable Trust beyond £35,000!!! This is an amazing amount which has steadily increased as I've rowed across. Thank you everyone else for your recent donations. I will be in touch, but not until I get back to UK and find out who you are! WELL DONE EVERYONE, keep in coming!

I don't know if anyone was aware, but the last day I rowed for three very special people. My father who would not have believed it, to Shaun who would have done it and to Perry Wilson (INSUREANDGO) for believing in me. These men have been the nucleus from which I've built my strength on.