Meet the motley crew
Scared of the dark
The crew will be rowing 1700 miles in the dark through the night as they head for Antigua.
Weight Loss
Each rower will lose 12kg of body weight during the row. This is affectionately known as The Atlantic Diet!
Which way?
The crew will need to navigate the 3200 miles taking into consideration tide, wind and weather conditions.
Everest? Easy!
More people have climbed Everest than have rowed the Atlantic
Adam Benjamin
Adam is partially sighted, he gets seasick standing on the Southwest Coast Path and he’s absolutely useless when he doesn’t get enough sleep, so why wouldn’t he want to row across an ocean? Literally the only reason he’s taking on this challenge is because one of his sons is a Royal Marine and the other is training for an Ironman, and he needs to wipe the smug looks off their faces.
Adam put this motley crew together. He couldn’t think of a better three blokes to share this journey with. Well, actually he did think of some better blokes, but they all turned the trip down.
Adam owns a sustainable tourism business in Boscastle and is passionate about maintaining the beauty of our coastal communities. Through this row he hopes to show that, as well as being on the front line when it comes to feeling the impacts of climate change, coastal communities are also at the front line when it comes to designing more sustainable approaches to 21st century living.
Simon Burke
Simon is an experienced Cornish Gig rower for Bude Rowing Club and brings with him strength, stamina and a rather fetching 70's adult movie facial decoration. There's no doubt that at some point the entire crew will have grown a similar tish tosh!
As a former Fire Fighter his experience with ladders, cat rescue and fire hoses will be invaluable on our little 28ft rowing boat. But in all seriousness Simon will bring some much needed paractical skill and calmness under pressure. The only part of this huge challenge that concerns him is... The Poo Bucket!
David 'Maddie' Pyle
Maddie brings some much-needed rock ‘n’ roll to the crew. Back in the day he played guitar in a band that supported The Specials on tour.
Having definitely done too much too young, undertaking adventures such as trekking in the Himalaya and Andes, Kayaking down the Amazon river and kitesurfing around the world, in his spare time he has also managed to forge a career in marketing.
We invited Maddie to join the crew because he’s an ox of a man, capable of single-handedly rowing the crew across The Atlantic whilst the rest of us top up our tans and enjoy the sea life.
Maddie is a key architect of our ‘Conservation, Innovation, Adventure’ mission. He’s mad keen on using this trip to work with companies looking to showcase their lastest innovations in technology and communitations.
Every boat that rows the Atlantic needs a large extended team to make the row even remotely possible. Sea Change Atlantic are putting together a knowledgeable, experienced shore crew, to help with logistics and any on-water emergencies that may arise; as well as to handle the media and social media buzz that our crusade will attract.
Richard Blackmore
Richard brings determination and resilience to the crew and with his comical wit can put a smile anyone’s face.
As the Silver Fox of the crew, he stands for Age Against the Machine. There’s life in the old dog yet! Believing in giving your all to truly accomplish any goal. Eat, sleep, row repeat 3200 miles.
Over the years, Richard has seen firsthand how big multinational companies are innovating to better respect our environment. In his day job with Mercedes, he has worked closely with the BYD Franchise to explore new energy solutions with zero emissions the aptly named oceanic range.
Richard’s hopes for his children, grandchildren and beyond are that the samples of the ocean taken on this row will be insightful for the future. It is the water that connects us, from home to the rest of the world. Let’s protect it together.