WORLD RECORD & MARRIAGE PROPOSAL FOR TEAM HALLIN’S ATLANTIC ROWERS!
Tuesday 8 February 2011 7:27 AM
Six gallant British rowers of Team Hallin have set a new world record for rowing the Atlantic Ocean.
The five men and one woman crew on board Team Hallin set a new record when they landed in Barbados and completed the 3,000 mile course from Tenerife in 31days and 23 hours and 31 minutes.
Their amazing effort shaved more than a day from the existing world record of 33 days, 7 hours and 30 minutes.
And rower Chris Covey, 25, shocked his teammates and girlfriend Susie Easton, 28, who travelled to Barbados to welcome Team Hallin, by going down on one knee on the dockside and proposing to her.
Stunned teacher Susie whispered I do before bursting into tears. She
said: ‘It was an amazing and wonderful surprise.’
The oars on board Team Hallin did not stop rowing from setting of from Tenerife on 6th January until their revolutionary trimaran vessel passed the finishing line in Barbados on Monday, 7th February.
Skipper David Hosking, MBE, who teaches rowing at Charterhouse school in the UK, was delighted that he and his team had broken the record.
Former Royal Navy commander David said: ‘Everyone has been amazing and all our bodies are wrecked!’
It was stunning team work that saw us set a new world record and the culmination of two years of planning!
I want to thank Hallin Marine for its sponsorship without their involvement we would not have been able to make this trip and break the world record!'
Each rower lost more than 2 stones (13 Kilos) in weight during their record-breaking row, despite consuming three times the average adult’s daily calorie intake every day.
Team Hallin s only female, Naomi Hoogesteger, 29, said:’There was no privacy on the boat and I’ve seen enough male dangly bits to last me a lifetime! But that doesn t matter we did what it took to set a new world record.’
The rowers worked in two shifts: David, 56, Naomi and Jack Stonehouse, 21, in one and Chris Covey, Paddy Thomas, 28, and Justin Johanneson, 35, in the other. Each shift rowed for two hours and then spent the rest of their time eating, resting and carrying out any maintenance during the next two, before getting back on the oars.
During the 31 day ordeal team members suffered acute seasickness, amazing blistering and soars to their hands and backsides, attack from flying fish and were almost ran down by a Russian tanker.
Integrated subsea services provider Hallin Marine, a Superior Energy Services company, supported and sponsored Team Hallin and many of its staff personally contributed to the rowers chosen charity.
Team Hallin is well on course to raise its target of £60,000 for the charity Combat Stress, which specialises in the care of service veterans’ mental health, and has already passed the 40% mark, with more than £25,000 being donated.
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