A Basingstoke rower is set to begin his daring 3,000-mile journey across the Atlantic from the
Canary Islands.
Accounts manager James Ketchell will take to the seas with his rowing partner Nick Johnson, of Cardiff Bay, from
La Gomera in a boat named Speedo.
It is likely that they will be at sea for at least 60 days before he arrives in Antigua in the Caribbean.
Mr Ketchell, aged 28, will keep in touch with friends and family via satellite phone while he is at sea, which will be charged using solar panels.
Similar panels will also help him operate a GPS satellite and a radar system to warn him if any ships are approaching.
"At first, my parents were not keen on it, but when they realised I was taking it seriously, they came round," said Mr Ketchell to the Basingstoke Gazette, adding that his family is "worried but excited" for his adventure.
Dave Brooks, another rower, is also set to depart for Antigua from
La Gomera today.
The athletes are taking part in the Woodvale Atlantic Race. The first leg of the competition will see the rowers travel from the Canary Islands to Antigua, while the second leg is set to take place between Panama and Australia next autumn.
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