[Barrie Youde]

A one-legged Royal Marne, Lee Spencer, is reported today to have rowed 3,800 mile across the Atlantic Ocean from Portugal to French Guinea in 60 days, which is 36 days fewer than anybody had made the same passage before. To beat the record by such a large margin would be a great achievement for anybody. For a one-legged man it is phenomenal.

The figures suggest an average speed of 2.6 knots for the entire passage. For any lone oarsman to sustain such an average speed over 60 days is difficult to credit!

Well done, Lee Spencer!

 

[tsell]

A one-legged Royal Marne, Lee Spencer, is reported today to have rowed 3,800 mile across the Atlantic Ocean from Portugal to French Guinea in 60 days, which is 36 days fewer than anybody had made the same passage before. To beat the record by such a large margin would be a great achievement for anybody. For a one-legged man it is phenomenal.

The figures suggest an average speed of 2.6 knots for the entire passage. For any lone oarsman to sustain such an average speed over 60 days is difficult to credit!

Well done, Lee Spencer!

Not only an incredible feat, Barrie, and to beat the record by such a huge margin, is, as you say, phenomenal!! If he wore a prosthesis, the chafing must have been a huge problem - I wonder how he overcame that. He has my admiration.

Cheers,

Taff

 

[Barrie Youde]

2.6 knots over 24 hours = 62.4 miles.

The average man would consider himself more than pleased to be able to pull a heavy boat (Spencer's boat was no racing skiff) over that distance in a day, in ideal conditions on, say, a canal.

To sustain such a feat for sixty days in succession in open-sea conditions raises many questions as to precisely how he did it - apart from sheer guts, strength and navigational capability.

Does anybody know what is the longest stretch of canal in UK, uninterrupted by locks?

 

[OilJiver]

Not exactly a youngster either. Well done indeed.

 

[Davie M]

Brilliant result shows what can be achieved with what must be a terrific attitude to his disability.

 

[OilJiver]

Yes. WNA not my favourite of all places. Even if on a reasonably well found, reasonably sized vessel…..let alone a rowing boat.

 

[RHP]

A wonderful achievement indeed. You can’t row a heavy boat at that speed 24 hours a day obviously, the skill is to catch the currents hence he left from where he did and arrived where he did. In Lee’s case he fulfilled the RM mantra that planning and preparation prevents pi$$ poor performance. I wonder if he has his eye on the Pacific...

 

[Samsette]

Endurance and mind over matter are his legacy from his military indoctrination. His achievement is remarkable.

 

[Philthechill]

Probably the longest-----

2.6 knots over 24 hours = 62.4 miles.

The average man would consider himself more than pleased to be able to pull a heavy boat (Spencer's boat was no racing skiff) over that distance in a day, in ideal conditions on, say, a canal.

To sustain such a feat for sixty days in succession in open-sea conditions raises many questions as to precisely how he did it - apart from sheer guts, strength and navigational capability.

Does anybody know what is the longest stretch of canal in UK, uninterrupted by locks?

-----stretch of canal without locks, Barrie, is from Preston Brook, (start of the Bridgewater Canal), through to the end of the Leigh branch of the Bridgewater canal where it meets the Liverpool/Leeds canal. 35 miles without a lock. Phil

 

[Barrie Youde]

Many thanks, Phil.

Perhaps I'll try the trip there and back some time. Or not!!