There’s a huge journey ahead of us: Wick round-Britain rowers praise ‘phenomenal’ support
The intrepid Wick couple who are about to spend two months at sea on a round-Britain challenge have described the support from the public and businesses as “absolutely phenomenal”.
Allan Lipp and Mhairi Ross are due to set off this Saturday on their quest to become the first mixed pair to complete an unsupported circumnavigation of the British mainland by rowing boat.
Allan (44), the Wick RNLI lifeboat coxswain, and Mhairi, who works as a paramedic and is part of the volunteer lifeboat crew, have taken unpaid leave from their jobs to make the trip.
They hope to raise at least £30,000, to be divided between the RNLI and Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance, and after many months of training they are ready to get started.
“It has been a long time coming,” Allan said. “When you hear stories of folk doing expeditions or crazy, mad challenges, the hardest part is getting across the start line. We’re really close now and looking forward to it.”
Mhairi (47) said: “It’s a combination of emotions. It’s really exciting, there’s a bit of nervous energy thrown in. It’s overwhelming at times.
“There’s a huge journey ahead of us, but the support that we’ve had has just been absolutely phenomenal.
“It’s really touching that people who don’t even know us are so behind us and want to know every step of the journey. It has just been a fantastic response.”
Donations to the JustGiving page for their challenge, Stormy and Steth: The Long Row Home, have already exceeded £7000.
Allan and Mhairi now have two gold sponsors, renewable energy company Boralex and the Beatrice offshore wind farm, while silver sponsorship has been taken out by Zensar Technologies.
The couple’s carbon-fibre boat, a Rannoch R15 named Boudicea, is just seven metres long but has proven its seaworthiness on transatlantic crossings. It now features all their sponsors’ logos.
The duo plan to row out of Wick harbour at around 11am on Saturday and will be following a clockwise route around the coastline.
To be successful in their record attempt, the couple must be totally self-reliant for the duration of the trip, including carrying all their supplies and not landing at any point.
Along with essential equipment they will be taking all their food in the form of dehydrated ration packs. The boat is fitted with solar panels and has a desalination unit for turning salt water into fresh water.
“We’re allowing up to 90 days, that’s how long we’ve got off work, but we’re optimistic it’ll be about 60 days,” Allan explained. “It just depends on the weather, that’s the big variable.
“But it looks like we’re going to get a good start on Saturday. For the next few days it’s looking like north-westerly, which is ideal.”
The couple have been building up their fitness by training on their gym equipment at home as well as going out to sea.
“We would have liked to have had more sea time,” Allan said. “It has not been possible, largely due to the weather.”
Mhairi added: “We have been out in all weathers – in daylight hours, night-time hours.
“I think people don’t realise just how small the boat is until they actually see it. But she handles well in the heavier swell and waves.”
Their preparations have included an abandonment exercise with Wick RNLI.
The pair are confident that they can exceed their fundraising target. Allan said: “We are quietly optimistic that we’ll smash it because we haven’t even started rowing yet and we’re definitely over £7000.”
Generally they each expect to be rowing two hours on, two hours off, but sometimes both may need to take the oars.
“It’s quite variable, quite dynamic,” Allan explained. “If we need to get to a certain point by a certain time to beat the weather or the tide we might both have to row for an extended period.
“But it’s important to get rest as well – we’ve got to factor that in and be sensible, because it is a long way round and if we burn ourselves out we’ll fall at the first hurdle.
“We’ve got to protect ourselves there, but at the same time have achievable goals that we’re going to reach.”
