We first got involved with the Ahoy back in 2008 and volunteered to enter that year's Great River Race to help them raise money to buy new equiment to help disabled young people enjoy sailing.
Rowing a Thames Waterman Cutter the crew completed the 22 miles from Richmond to Greenwich in a very creditable time of 2 hours 40 minutes and beat our fund-raising target.
Inspired by our success we then agreed to enter the 2009 race. We started training in March and our dedication paid off when we claimed 2nd place in our class (out of 25 boats) and 6th place overall, out of over 400 boats on the river that day. More importantly we also raised £20,000 for the Ahoy.
And so with the bar now set high we have taken the challenge up a level; rowing the Channel!
On June 10th, weather permitting, we will take to the water at Dover, and supported by our pilot boat, head for Calais with the aim of smashing the world record of 2 hours 45 minutes.
Together with our sister crew, Chaucer, we're trying to raise £30,000 for the Ahoy.
The Ahoy Centre is based in Deptford and offers facilities and opportunities for people with disabilities and disadvantaged young people. The Ahoy does some great work and really helps these young people to broaden their experience, gain skills, interact with others and have fun.
We’ve been training since January and our trainer, Bailey, has been putting us through our paces with regular circuit training sessions, long stints on the rowing machines and as the weather’s improved getting on the river. Last week we rowed our boat (a traditional Thames Cutter) from the Ahoy to Richmond for some ocean-going modifications.
Last night was a fantastic training session; we had glorious conditions on the river and rowed from Deptford past the O2 (Millennium Dome) before turning for home, with the Sun setting over the City and a full moon hanging majestically over the Royal Naval College at Greenwich behind us.
Let me introduce the crew:
Stroke: Guy Saunders
No. 2: Phil Wall
No.3: Angus Scott
No. 4: Bruno Linder
No. 5: Simon Rodd
No. 6: Lee Witherell
We'll be posting pictures and video on the blog so look out for regular updates on our progress.
If you’d like to sponsor us then please visit:
http://www.justgiving.com/AHOYBuoys
All donations, large or small, are most welcome; please don’t forget to add Gift Aid if you’re a UK tax payer!
Many thanks.
Lee & the Ahoy Buoys team
About Me
- Lee Witherell
- We are a team of 6 thirty-forty somethings who are rowing the English Channel in June to raise money for the Ahoy Centre; we're also trying to break the world record at the same time!