Atlantic Quest 2007.
In 2007 Dom led three team mates in an attempt to break the French-held Atlantic Rowing world record. Find out what happened.
The early announcement
- 9 June 2005
- Explorer aiming to smash French world record
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Maritime Explorer Dom Mee will be playing host to the cream of the Ocean Rowing community in Exmouth this weekend, and will be assembling a world record breaking team to cross the Atlantic in November next year.
The potential team members are attending a selection weekend at the Commando Training Centre, Royal Marines Lympstone Devon. Royal Marine training staff will be pushing the hopeful candidates to their limits, testing their motivation and endurance, using techniques that will ensure the team Dom collates is the strongest team possible. Dom will also be springing surprises on potential candidates throughout the day, which will allow him to pick a team whose strengths lie in team work and cooperation, as well as endurance and stamina. The very limited supplies of food and water available to the final six on their epic adventure will test these skills to the very limits.
The team selected on Saturday will consist of eight ocean rowers, two of whom will be reserve members of the team. They will be rowing between La Gomera, Canary Islands, and Antigua next November, and are aiming to smash the current record held by a French team since 1992, which currently stands at 35 days 8 hours.
Dom says:
“The fact that this record has stood for so long highlights how difficult the challenge will be, but I am confident that a partnership with Woodvale Events and individuals handpicked by myself will smash the current record”.
The 36ft boat has been constructed in a boat shed in South Brent, and has been supplied by Woodvale Events. This Devon based company organises ocean rowing races, in which many of the hopeful candidates attending this weekend have competed in. They are also the proud organisers of the Spirit of Teignmouth project, a community based sailing project. The six man rowing boat has been created using local tradesmen and skills, and is constructed using a mixture of marine plywood and composite materials. The record breaking rowing attempt will be taking the same route at the Atlantic Rowing Race 2005, organised by Woodvale Events, and is expected to see the team complete the route within about 30 days.
The team
Dom Mee
Team leader. See About Dom for more details.
Ed James
Ed James is 27 years old and, by living in London, represents the ‘non West Country’ side of team Atlantic Quest.
Recently he has been working for HM Courts Service within the Department for Constitutional Affairs based in Westminster, although previously he worked for a politician amongst other jobs.
‘Shevardnadze’, as he has become known to the team, has been a member of the RMR since 2003 and last year was deployed to Iraq, where he worked alongside another member of the Atlantic Quest Team, Pete ‘Birdy’ Bird.
It was in fact through the RMR that Ed first met Dom in January 2005. RMR London managed to produce a couple of people to help Dom man his stands at the London Boat Show and, after a week of publicising Dom’s arctic expeditions and much evening revelry, Dom kindly said he would consider Ed in any future ventures. Good to his word, Ed was invited to an initial selection in June 2005 and began the journey that would culminate in him being chosen for the final team.
Before becoming involved with Team Quest, Ed’s rowing experience was limited to a 20 minute paddle on the river by Hampton Court with a girlfriend; he has learned a lot in the past 18 months however! He has been particularly inspired by the great pioneer, Jac Chad.
Despite a limited technical rowing history, Ed has been involved with sport for many years and has represented SE England Schools and English Universities at rugby. He has participated in a number of multi-discipline races in the last few years including one with Birdy in Bristol as well as competing in an ultramarathon event this summer.
Ed is the team’s 2 i/c and a lifelong admirer of the great Jac Chad.
Pete Bird
23 years old, 192cm, 90kgs
Interestingly, Pete ‘Birdy’ Bird shares his name with the legendary and pioneering ocean rower of a previous generation.
Pete has made Bristol his adopted home having studied engineering at the university there. While he currently does his best to recruit for the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and the Reserve forces as a day job, his engineering background has been useful in helping to equip the boat and provide small improvements wherever possible.
In terms of rowing, Pete has had a fair bit of experience with river boats and tries to use this (combined with his cycling background) to excuse his dubious collection of sports clothing. His technical rowing knowledge, freakishly long legs and fondness for head to toe lycra mean he certainly looks every inch the rower and, as such, seemed at home when training on some pretty narrow single skulls on the river Thames.
Pete brings enthusiasm and youthful vigour to the team as its youngest member, as well as a good sense of humour.
Tom Rendell
Tom Rendell spent 8 years in the Royal Marines, seeing active service on operations in Kosovo and Afghanistan twice. Having enjoyed the trials and tribulations of this period immensely, he decided to leave and take up the challenge of a new career, whilst remaining involved in the Royal Marines and the profession of soldiering through the Royal Marines Reserve in Bristol, his home town.
Tom decided to turn his passion for rather extreme exercise into a career, and is now happily earning a living as a personal trainer. Apparently some people pay their own hard earned money to be hurt!
He is a keen competitor, having enjoyed boxing, rugby and rowing, as well as having run a marathon and ultra-marathon during 2006.
Although Tom may seem to be a one dimensional character, he does (pretend to) have other interests. Perhaps surprisingly, he has played chess at a competitive level and enjoys fly fishing and fly tying.
Pete Bird and many of Tom’s friends will testify to his bad habits. It is probably best not to elaborate, but suffice to say Birdy has suffered somewhat from time to time in the confined space of the bow cabin of GBR Challenge…
Progress
The map to the left was produced by the X-Plot service and shows the progress of the AtlanticQuest rowing expedition as it neared its destination. Click here to see a larger version.
Further maps of Dom and the team’s position, along with precise positions, can be found on the website of the Ocean Rowing Society