22 Nov 2005

Atlantic rowers fuelled by students’ diet advice

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A four-man team from Britain will attempt to row across the Atlantic next year – with a little help from the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC).

The team of ex-Army and serving personnel, which includes Welshman Pete Rowlands, 44, from North Wales, will set off on the inaugural Shepherds Ocean Fours Rowing Race from New York on June 10, in aid of the Meningitis Trust.

And they’ll be fuelled throughout the gruelling 3318 nautical mile challenge to reach Falmouth by a diet which has been specially devised for them by final year UWIC BSc (Hons) Science in Health Exercise and Sport students.

On November 28, Team Hesco Commando Joe members Pete Rowlands and Ben Fouracre will visit UWIC’s Llandaff Campus with their 29ft specially designed ocean rowing boat.

During the visit they will meet the students – Sam Doo, Roger Jelfs, Toby Ryan, Ben Vale and Richard Walker – who are developing bespoke feeding plans for the rowers as part of their final year dissertations.

Science in Health Exercise and Sport student Richard Walker, 20, from Newport, said: “The four men plan to row 12 hours each day in teams of two, in two-hour slots and we have done a calculation for energy requirements which indicates each rower will need about 8750 calories each day.

“There are five of us working on the project, each with a specific emphasis: carbohydrate, fat, protein, fluid and supplement requirements, in order to meet this huge demand on the human body.

“It is great to be involved at ground level with something so important. It really puts the impetus on us to work hard and produce an excellent dissertation.”

Fellow student Sam Doo, 20, from Aldershot, added: “This is a unique opportunity for us to broaden our understanding of nutrition and its importance in a sporting concept such as this one.

“The fact that this is also being done for the Meningitis Trust charity makes it that much more satisfying.”

UWIC senior lecturer in Food and Consumer Science Dr Ruth Fairchild, who is one of the students’ supervisors, said: “This unique opportunity allows the students and staff to really apply their knowledge and skills in developing a lightweight, palatable diet packed with nutrition, to ensure the Team Hesco Commando Joe team are the first to the finish line.

“UWIC is very fortunate to have existing links with Cardiff-based BCB International, which produces the majority of ration packs for the British Military. The company will be working with our students to put together bespoke diets for this Atlantic challenge.

“This project exemplifies the importance of providing students with ‘live’ projects to enhance their learning, drawing together academic research, local food industry and the Meningitis Trust.”

Pete Rowlands, who organised the challenge team in memory of his 16 year-old son Gareth who died from Meningitis without warning in May 2003, said: “ we are delighted that UWIC with its reputation for food and sport courses is helping us in preparing for this mammoth challenge. As the Welsh representative on the boat it is particularly good for me to have this link with ‘home’”.

For more information about the team and the challenges they will be facing visit www.commando-joe.co.uk

To help the team raise vital money for the Meningitis Trust you can donate securely online at www.justgiving.com/oceanrowing

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Notes to editors:

• The Team Hesco Commando Joe and UWIC partnership was established as a result of Dr Ruth Fairchild, senior lecturer in Food and Consumer Science, lecturing on human nutrition to Aldershot-based British Army officers.

• The UWIC Science in Health Exercise and Sport students who are developing the bespoke feeding plans are Sam Doo, 20, from Aldershot, Richard Walker, 20, from Newport, Gwent, Roger Jelfs, 20, from Worcester, Toby Ryan, 20, from Devon and Ben Vale, 21, from ???.

• Cardiff-based BCB International is a long established designer and manufacturer of quality survival and protective equipment. For further information visit www.bcbin.com/

• Created to meet the growing demand for extreme adventure, the Shepherds Ocean Fours Atlantic Rowing Challenge is a demanding race with emphasis on teamwork, speed and skill.

Crews of four will compete on equal terms in a new 29ft ocean rowing boat over a North Atlantic route similar to that which Sir Chay Blyth and John Ridgeway took back in 1966.

The rowers will start their challenge in New York on June 10, 2006 and finish in Falmouth some 40 – 50 days later.

The total distance to be covered, as the crow flies, is 3318 nautical miles from the Statue of Liberty to Falmouth harbour and the team envisage having to row some 3500 miles if they are able to keep on course and have the winds and sea conditions in their favour.

The Shepherds Ocean Fours Atlantic Rowing Race 2006 is the first four-man race crossing the Ocean from West to East and follows a more northerly route than previous two-man races.

En-route, the teams will encounter difficult currents, cold weather, high seas and icebergs.

For further information please contact Bethan Evans, Press & Communications Officer, Tel: 029 2041 6053, or e-mail: bwevans@uwic.ac.uk

For further information, photography, or to arrange interviews or photo shoots, please contact Commando Joe’s campaign manager, Adrian Bell:

+44 (0)7976 866808 or adrian@commando-joe.co.uk

or refer to the team’s website at www.commando-joe.co.uk

High-resolution images can also be downloaded from the press resources area