GB Row Challenge winner Team Albatross has reinforced the importance of marine flares and other safety equipment after it was among three boats rescued in bad weather.
Team Albatross was equipped with Pains Wessex flares for the gruelling 3,500km round Britain race, which is described as one of the biggest challenges that rowers face.
The Albatross rowers had to be rescued by the Coastguard and RNLI in gale-force-eight winds and rough seas off Northern Ireland.
Your flares are a real security
Crew member and three-times Olympic rower, Andrew T Hodge, says, “I know flat water rowing pretty well – I’ve done a few Olympics – but ocean rowing is a whole new level and we discovered how important it is to be seen and the necessity around safety requirements. Our predicament was a real tough one to get through. It was a real tough one to foresee. But as we discovered, being seen is the most important thing.
“Thank you so much for your flares. It was a real security for us to know that they were there available, spread around both ends in our stow packs to be used if and when needed. And it really came through for us during our rescue when they called one of the passing tankers to give us a lee shore so we could escape onto the RNLI boat. We saw exactly how small and insignificant our little boat was compared to that tanker and as we moved away in the RNLI boat as our little boat got smaller and smaller, yet this tanker remained enormous right next to it, it made it clear as to how important those flares were. To be mowed down by one of those would not have ended well for us!
“So, thank you so much for your support; it meant a great deal and it did mean that we were able to have the confidence to complete the journey, knowing we have those on board along with the other safety stuff that we have.”
Albatross Skipper Albert Farrant explains that the crew used radio communications to get help in the storm. Later in the race, water egress meant the radio was temporarily unavailable and so it relied on flares and satellite communication.
Critical item
“At other times we found fishing boat skippers were often not in the wheelhouse monitoring VHF and AIS so we had flares and horns positioned on deck at the bow and stern as an emergency signal to avert the risk of collision if we could not contact larger vessels through other means.
“What we initially considered a mandatory safety item we were unlikely to use became a very critical item on the boat with a high likelihood of being used. Even though we didn’t need to use any flares in the end, we were very grateful we had gone with the brand that was recommended to us.”
Alex Smith, commander at HM Coastguard, says, “The rowers were well prepared, they had all the appropriate safety equipment, a VHF radio, and a satellite phone but they still got caught out. Whether you are rowing across the sea, sailing along the coast, or going out for a paddle, always be prepared, check the weather, take the appropriate safety equipment and means of calling for help. Always tell someone where you are going and when you plan to come back.”
After the incident, the Albatross team continued rowing once event organisers gave them the go-ahead.
The picture shows Team Albatross at St Katherine’s dock proudly displaying the Wescom Group logo.
Complex tides and very changeable British weather mean good navigation skills are required for the GB Row Challenge, as well as the tactical ability to make the most of weather and sea conditions, which can be as important as a team’s strength, stamina and endurance.
Pains Wessex offshore kit
As safety is key in the race, Wescom Group supplied a Pains Wessex offshore kit, a comprehensive combination of propelled and handheld flares of both long and short visibility range designed to signal distress in an emergency.
Team Albatross raised funds for Active Row, a programme run by the charity London Youth Rowing. Active Row works in schools with a high proportion of students who face hardship, deprivation, and access to basic societal needs and qualify for the pupil premium.
Team Albatross is Andrew Triggs Hodge, Albert Farrant, Darren Saunders, Ed Russell, Kat Bruce and GB Row founder William de Laszlo.
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