A Year in the Oceans

Mark’s next major expedition is in January 2012 when he will join a team of six to break the mid Atlantic ocean rowing record. He has recently returned from ‘Rowing the Arctic’ as a crew member and cameraman for a documentary which was shown on BBC1 Scotland on 21st December 2011.

The best way to keep up to date with Mark’s expeditions and upcoming events is his twitter feed @MrMarkBeaumont or Facebook Page

Rowing the Atlantic

The Atlantic Team - Aodhán Kelly, Simon Brown, Matt Craughwell (skipper), Mark Beaumont, Yaacov Motnikas and Ian Rowe

The 3000-mile Atlantic crossing from east to west is widely considered the toughest ultra endurance event in the world, and the dream of crossing in less than 30 days has become known as the 4-minute mile of ocean rowing. ‘Sara G,’ the 11-metre, six man boat that Mark Beaumont is joining is very fast and already holds the Tasmin and mid Atlantic World Records – with a very strong crew and good trade winds, this January 2012 voyage stands a good chance of making history.

Starting from Tarfaya in Morocco and finishing at Barbados, the crew will row in repeated shifts of 2 hours on, 2 hours off and so one of the toughest parts is never getting more than about an hours sleep at a time, whilst rowing 24 hours a day for a month. ‘Sara G’ is skippered by Matt Craughwell who already has two Atlantic crossings to his name. Each crew member has been selected for their outright strength and resilience, both physically and mentally. You can find out more about this expedition on Matt’s website at www.worldoceanrowing.com

Rowing the Arctic

From July until September 2011 Mark was in the Canadian Arctic as part of a six man rowing expedition. The aim was to reach the North Magnetic Pole (as certified in 1996). Mark was asked to join the expedition by the BBC to film and row with Scottish explorer Jock Wishart and team in a quest to row 450 miles through the dramatic icebound coastlines and shifting sea ice of the remote Nunavut territory.

The Arctic Team - Mark Delstanche, Billy Gammon, Jock Wishart (skipper), Rob Sleep, David Mans and Mark Beaumont at the 1996 North Magnetic Pole

The Polar Regions have long been accepted as a barometer for our changing world. Reaching such northerly latitudes by water is a bittersweet first, only made possible by the rapidly changing icecap.

The Route through the Arctic