About Gary King

I’m a writer, speaker and lover of all things that raise the heartbeat and tickle the senses. If there is one thing that I’ve learnt from my years of extreme sport and adventure travel is that life is for living - not spectating.

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Virgin GB Row

By Gary King on 21 July 2010 16:20:42

What is the Virgin GB Row?

It’s 2,010 miles non-stop and unassisted rowing around Great Britain in some of the most dangerous tides on the globe, in the busiest shipping lanes and with some of the most unpredictable summer weather anywhere.

Together all those hazards make this officially the toughest rowing race in the world - tougher even than rowing the Pacific or the Atlantic.

In 2010, two teams of four rowers - one all-male team and a team of women - are competing for a possible first prize of £45,000 and to become the first ever winners of the Virgin Trophy, donated by Virgin’s adventure-hungry chairman, Sir Richard Branson.

The teams are also rowing to raise £250,000 for Help for Heroes and a place in the annals of rowing.

Only one other crew has ever before successfully completed a non-stop, unassisted row around Britain.

In 2005 a crew (pictured) , led by Lt William de Laszlo, completed the circumnavigation of Britain, from and to Tower Bridge in London, in 26 days 21 hours and 14 minutes, to set a world record.

Will de Laszlo is now the President of the Anglo American Boat Club who are staging this first-ever Virgin GB Row challenge.

The aims of the race are to:

Raise money for worthwhile charities. The 2005 row raised £277,530 for charity.

To inspire young people to do extraordinary things. We believe inside everybody is the ability to be extraordinary.

To complete a personal challenge in extremely adverse conditions and to achieve this aim by successfully managing and overcoming real and perceived dangers, while learning new individual and team skills.