Midlands farmers set off on trans-Atlantic row for charity

Midlands turkey farmer Rod Adlington and arable farmer Guy Minshall have started their epic trans-Atlantic row, setting off from Lanzarote in bright sunshine on Wednesday morning (3 January), with more than 3,000 miles of ocean ahead of them.

The two farmers are joined by Anna Williams, a small-animal vet from Lancashire, and Alex Perry, a serving paratrooper, as they take part in the Atlantic Dash, a race that will take them out through the Canary Islands, then across open water to the Caribbean island of Antigua. It should take about six weeks.

See also: Midlands farmers prepare to row the Atlantic for charity

The team is known as The Brightsides, and the crew is aiming to raise a significant sum for two charities – neck cancer charity Get A-Head and Meningitis Now – in memory of Rod’s young son Barney, who died from meningitis in 2005.

Speaking to Farmers Weekly just before departure, Rod said he felt “more than ready” to go. Having finished overseeing the pre-Christmas processing of the 10,000 traditional turkeys that are the mainstay of his farming business near Coventry in the West Midlands, he said: “I can’t wait.”

Training started back in April and, while the busy run-up to Christmas interrupted his regime, Rod said he was ready for the challenge.

“Our two trainers have done a fantastic job. It’s a different kind of fitness. If you asked me to run a marathon tomorrow, I couldn’t, but I do feel strong and more than ready to go.”

Challenge

Rowing two-on, two-off, 24 hours a day for six weeks, the physical challenge is immense. So too is the mental challenge, although Rod says the team has discussed this at length.

“The fact this is a race will help, but we have also established a routine for doing daily checks, both on the equipment and on our mental health,” he said.

The team has so far raised £115,000 out of a targeted £250,000 for the two charities. Further donations can be made via the website, thebrightsidesrow.com.

Farmers Weekly, which is proud to be a media partner with our logo on the side of the boat, will be following The Brightsides’ progress on our social media channels over the coming weeks.