A team of experienced kayakers are launching their Big 5 Kayak Challenge at the 2008 Southampton Boat Show. The challenge will see the team tackle five different expeditions that will take them to remote locations in the UK, Canada and the USA during the next year.
The first leg of the challenge will see the team circumnavigate the Isle of Wight, leaving from Southampton Boat Show at 4pm on Friday 19th September and returning to the boat show during the afternoon of Sunday 21st September. The team will be self-sufficient, carrying all the equipment needed for the 70 mile trip in their sea kayaks, including camping equipment for Friday and Saturday night. A support boat, piloted by team member Rob Jenner, of Projected Vision www.projectedvision.com , will accompany the team from the boat show to the Isle of Wight and on the return leg.
The final destination for the team will be paddling the Inside Passage which runs for 1000 miles along the West Coast of Canada to Alaska. The team will also paddle across the English Channel (about 40 miles) from Lands End to the Isles of Scilly (30 miles) and the length of the Thames from source to sea (200 miles), stopping in at the London boat show in January 2009.
The Big 5 Kayak Challenge is raising funds for two worthy causes – The Willow Foundation and Muscle Dreams
The team have chosen two charities whose work is nothing short of amazing and aim to raise, through sponsorship, significant sums of money for these good causes. All the costs associated with the expedition are being met by the paddlers themselves and all the money raised will go directly to these two charities.
The Willow Foundation was set up by Bob Wilson, former England and Arsenal goalkeeper to provide respite and activities for terminally ill children. http://www.willowfoundation.org.uk/ Muscle Dreams was established by Michael McGrath, to offer activities, experiences and support to Michael walked into the history books by being the only disabled person to walk to both the north and south poles. http://www.musclehelp.com
The Big 5 Kayak Challenge is being recorded on HDD video format to make a film of the highs and lows of this adventurous expedition. News and updates from the team and details of all their sponsors and supporters will be available from their website www.big5kayakchallenge.com .
The team aim to raise the profile of two important campaigns, River Access Campaign and the Solution is Simple.org. The River Access campaign led by the British Canoe Union (BCU), aims to provide the right to paddle more English rivers (currently only 3% allow open access). The Solution is Simple.org is a powerful lobby to governments to take climate change and global warming seriously. Led by their ambassador, Alain Robert, the French free-climber, they champion three simple messages 1 – Stop Cutting Down Trees. Plant More Trees. 2 – Make Everything Energy Efficient. 3 – Only Make Clean Energy.
World Class Support for Big 5 Kayak Challenge
The core team of experienced paddlers includes a former international pole-vaulter, David Gordon; founder and managing director of Majorsporty.com, Richard Harpham; They will be joined along the way by world class paddlers Helen Reeves (Olympic Slalom Medalist), Tamsin Green (World no. 2 surf kayaker), Dan Green (GB Surf Kayak Team), Caoimhe Ní Chuinn (Captain of Ireland’s canoe polo team).
Big 5 Kayak Challenge inspired by Australia to Mauritius Ocean Row (3500 miles)
When Simon Prior met us to tell us of his goal to take part in the Woodvale ocean rowing race from Australia to Mauritius www.amantomauritius.co.uk , we were impressed. His plans were well advanced, he had significant sponsorship, a boat in production and a track record of smaller expeditions. As we found out more, that it was 3,500 miles across some of the most treacherous seas on the planet and that it was so unique that in fact more people had walked on the moon than made this journey.
We were inspired by Simon and we wanted to do more to support his challenge, raising the profile of this extraordinary adventure and get involved. We talked about doing some kayaking (what we do) whilst Simon did the rowing somewhere round the coast of Britain to create some build up to the main event and also some challenges in their own right. From this the Big 5 Kayak Challenge was born.
Quickly we decided on the 5 elements of the challenge;
• Round the Island (Isle of Wight – 70 miles) – Launching the boat/challenge at the Southampton Boatshow
• The Channel (circa 40 miles)
• Off the Coast (lands End to Isles of Scilly & back? (40 – 80 miles)
• The Thames (125 if in the DW race or 200 miles) finishing at The London Boat Show (Jan 2009)
• The Inside Passage – Vancouver to Alaska (1000 miles)
For more details of Simon’s Epic Challenge then check out;
http://www.amantomauritius.co.uk/portal/
- Ends -
For more information please contact either:
Richard Harpham 07710 616520 richardharpham@majorsporty.com
Rob Bates 07968 354847 rob.bates2@ntlworld.com
Aisling Ni Chuinn 07807 560755 aislingnichuinn@dublin.ie
• Fundraising for 2 brilliant charities, Muscle Dreams (Muscular Dystrophy Charity) http://www.musclehelp.com and the Willow Foundation(Support and activities for terminally ill children) http://www.willowfoundation.org.uk/Home
• Raising the profile of 2 important causes, www.thesolutionissimple.org (1 – Stop Cutting Down Trees. Plant More Trees. 2 – Make Everything Energy Efficient. 3 – Only Make Clean Energy.)
• and www.riveraccess.org (A campaign funded by Canoe England to raise awareness of the access issue on inland waterways in England (and Wales) and to bring about a change to the access situation – only 2% of 65,000 kms of water in England have access agreements for paddlers and recreation to use)
Preliminary Schedules
Round the Isle of Wight from Southampton Boat Show
Sept 2008
Friday 19th 2008
Raise PR and support at the Southampton Boat Show
Set off early evening from the Show (5pm approx) and paddle to Isle of Wight
Saturday 20th 2008
Saturday Start early and paddle as far as able from dawn till dusk
Sunday 21st 2008
Sunday start early and finish at the Southampton Boat Show (before it closes)
Paddling The Thames via the London Boat Show
Jan 2009
Timing and dates for the challenge to be agreed
9th January 2009 – Press Day
Raise PR and support at the London Boat Show
16th January 2009 - Challenge begins
17th January 2009 – Challenge on
18th January 2009 – Challenge ends at London Boat Show
Paddling the Inside Passage (Vancouver to Alaska)
June 2009 est.
Exact details to be confirmed
Background Information
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2008/jul/01/canoeingandkayaking.europe
1. Round The Island (coincide with Wight Air or Southampton Boatshow)
http://www.whiteair.co.uk/
19th – 21st September
Southampton Boatshow
http://www.southamptonboatshow.com/
12th – 21st September 2008
http://www.ukseakayakguidebook.co.uk/iow/art_iow.htm
2. Paddling from Lands End to the Scilly Isles
http://www.scillyonline.co.uk/
http://www.ukseakayakguidebook.co.uk/short_trip_reports/scillyguide.htm
3. The English Channel – circa 30miles
Dependent on route
http://becher.com/channel_crossing.htm
4. The Thames encorporating the DW (Devizes to Westminster) race circa
http://www.dwrace.org.uk/
April 10th – 13th April 2009
Now most likely paddling the length of the Thames in January to stop via the London Boat Show
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kayaking_and_Canoeing_on_the_River_Thames
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thames
215 miles max
5. The Inner Passage, British Columbia circa 1000kms
http://www.britishcolumbia.com/regions/towns/?townid=3958
http://www.kayakbritishcolumbia.com/tour1e.html
http://www.libsci.sc.edu/bob/class/clis734/webguides/insidepassage1.htm