Speaker Elaine Hopley

Fri, Apr 27th 2018 at 12:55 pm - 2:10 pm

Topic: Solo Atlantic Rowing Race


Rotary club of Stirling meeting of 27th April.

SVP Sandy Farquharson welcomed two visitors, our speaker Elaine Hopley, and Rotarian Alistair Morrison.  Next Friday is the AGM,reports from conveners please.

Our speaker Elaine Hopley has for the past 28years been involved in endurance racing, always solo, including cycling round the world, 26 hours continuous rowing, a record, and last year rowing across the Atlantic. Leaving from La Gomera she reached Antigua in 58 days, 19 hours and 14 minutes having covered 2934 nautical miles in poor weather including two typhoons.  She was a competitor in Atlantic Challenge which is sponsored by Talisker. She spent two years in preparation including building her seven-meter boat, Jan, mostly by herself. Elaine likes to be self-reliant and by building most of the boat she was fully familiar with the design and able to carry out any repairs as she went along. The first part of the journey was unusually difficult, very variable winds, and "blood rain" caused by sand from the Sahara which blocked her communication systems leaving her cut off unable to see what was around her. Despite the problem of getting enough sleep, a maximum of four hours per day often in short bursts, and the difficulty of avoiding large ships, Elaine was clearly at home alone on the ocean. The presence of abundant wildlife, fish, birds, dolphin’s whales and porpoises kept her company.  Asked what it felt like to be rowing for such a long time, she said, relentless. As she neared her destination navigation became critical, as it would have been easy to miss the small island of Antigua. Despite all this Elaine plans to row across the Pacific next year. We were all amazed by her determination, and her physical and mental fitness. The VOT was given by Alan Rankin.

Next week's meeting on 4th May is our AGM Visitor’s host Mike Queen.

Ian Richardson

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