Recent bad weather, with more storms forecast, has forced the Long Row Home team, Allan Lipp and Mhairi Ross, to pause their attempt to circumnavigate Britain by rowing boat.
Since setting off from Wick on 1 June, the couple have rowed 1462 nautical miles around Britain, with approximately 226 to go. Since reaching Tobermory yesterday (Monday 19 August), they have not been able to identify a possible weather window to allow them to row around the exposed Ardnamurchan peninsula any time over the next two weeks. After taking advice from RNLI and other seafaring colleagues, Allan and Mhairi have taken the very difficult decision to pause the row, and return to Wick and their work: Allan as lifeboat coxswain of the Wick lifeboat and Mhairi as a paramedic with the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Allan Lipp said: “It has been a very difficult decision to make – but with no break in the weather – we have had no choice but to pause the row. To be clear, we are not abandoning our attempt, we are pausing it for now, and will return to complete the challenge as soon as we can. However, it will not be the unsupported attempt that we had hoped for.”
Mhairi Ross said: “We are so disappointed, but with the difficult weather conditions that we have already endured, and no sign of any let up in the next two weeks, we have to put safety first and pause the challenge.”
The couple are really grateful for all those that have sponsored them to date and kept their morale up with messages of support. Mhairi continued: “The support we have received has been incredible. A big thank you goes to all our sponsors, our followers on social media, and to all those who have helped us raise £43,922, and a further £5,9322 in gift aid, exceeding our fundraising target of £30,000 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance by a massive £19,800.
https://www.thelongrowhome.co.uk
https://justgiving.com/team/stormyandsteth
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