Wednesday 19 August 2015
Jo’s Row Home was a Rough Ride
Last week Jo Brehaut 42, a York resident originally from Guernsey, achieved her dream of single-handedly rowing home to Guernsey from the UK, to raise money for Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Channel Islands Air Search.
On Monday 10th August, Jo set off from Dartmouth in Devon at 5.45pm and solo sculled through the night and most of the next day, making it to Beaucette Marina in Guernsey just before 5pm on Tuesday 11th August. This was a distance of approximately 75 miles (65 nautical miles, 120 km), three times further than Dover to Calais. Jo rowed a Janousek coastal sculling boat and remained within a few metres of her guard boat (the ex-RNLI lifeboat Duke of Cornwall) at all times, relying on the guard boat for navigation.
Jo rowed for more than 20 hours, through darkness, crossing some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, rain and winds up to 20mph resulting in some challenging seas, coped with seasickness and lack of sleep. Unfortunately she was suspended from rowing for a short time towards the end because a combination of increasing winds and a fierce tide slowed progress to an extent that the guard boat could not keep its course, so could not set a clear direction for Jo to follow, so she was forced to accept a lift for the last 14 miles. However she was able to finish the journey by rowing through the rocky entrance into Beaucette Marina in Guernsey, still alert and willing to go on.
Jo’s trainer and coach, Mike Gilbert of Langstone Adventure Rowing (LAR) commented:
“LAR is proud to have escorted and supported Jo Brehaut in her recent successful Cross Channel Challenge. I think Jo must be the first woman to row that route and to my knowledge the only woman to solo scull the Channel at all! This is an amazing feat, over 60 miles of solo sculling - equal to rowing around the Isle of Wight - not one capsize in the seas and rowing through the shipping lanes alone and in pitch black takes terrific skill, strength and a determined personal character. Well done Jo."
Jo is a member of York City Rowing Club and has rowed with Guernsey Rowing Club. She originally planned this feat for 2013 to mark her 40th birthday, but was prevented then due to rough conditions at sea.
Jo is a Landscape Architect and works for planning consultancy Pegasus Group in Leeds. She is grateful to Pegasus Group for allowing her to work flexible hours while preparing for this challenge and Pegasus have made a significant donation to Jo’s two chosen charities.
On finally completing her challenge Jo said:
“I’m thrilled to have made it to Guernsey and can’t quite believe I’ve finally achieved my dream. It was tough but the training paid off and I coped OK physically. The biggest challenge was mental - trying to keep my fear at bay while rowing in the pitch black through rough water past huge container ships.
Highlights were seeing showers of shooting stars all around me and a fly past in the morning by the Channel Islands Air Search aircraft on a training exercise. The fly past really brought home to me how much of a relief itwould be for that little plane (or a YAA helicopter) to have found me if I was in trouble out there.
Of course I am a little disappointed that I was prevented from rowing the whole way, but proud that I didn't give up, it was just down to changing sea conditions. I’m tired, have a few chafed patches, a blister and stiff shoulders, but otherwise I feel fantastic.
I am so grateful for all the support I have received on facebook.com/JoRowsHome. A big thank you to everyone who has followed my progress and donated to CIAS and YAA so generously. Every pound will help these two organisations to carry out their vital services.”
If you are inspired to donate it's not too late. Donations can be made at justgiving.com/JoBrehaut-YAAC for Yorkshire Air Ambulance or justgiving.com/JoBrehaut-CIAS for Channel Islands Air Search, or via the links provided at facebook.com/JoRowsHome.
Yorkshire Air Ambulance needs to raise £12,000 per day to keep both helicopters maintained and in the air. As an independent charity, YAA relies on the generosity of those who support the service to continue to save lives across Yorkshire.
Channel Islands Air Search is currently operating with a leased aircraft and there remains only £150,000 to raise towards the cost of a new Islander aircraft and equipment. Whilst the service is run entirely by volunteers, funds are needed to cover annual operating costs of around £140,000.
Attached photographs:
Screen shot of GPS tracking map / DSC_0108 MG_ed
Heading out of Dartmouth
IMG_2454 AK
Evening light / DSC_0111 MG
A hint of dawn at last
IMG_2499 Ake&f
CIAS fly past with ships on the horizon / IMG_2526 AK
Ex-RNLI Duke of Cornwall with the support team.
l-r: Mike Gilbert, Ada Keding, Wendy Iles, Peter Lucas, Jo Brehaut and Peter Batt.
IMG_6316 MS cheers
Jo celebrates arriving on dry land
Links to film clips:
Evening sunshine: https://youtu.be/Hg4DYpZo3Uo (credit A. Keding)
Shipping lanes at dawn: https://youtu.be/Q9sIJkmJVDI (credit A. Keding)
Conditions worsen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgGzjmUF4M0&feature=em-upload_owner
(credit M. Gilbert)
Media information:
Funds can be donated online by visiting:
www.justgiving.com/JoBrehaut-CIAS or www.justgiving.com/JoBrehaut-YAAC
More information and images available at: www.facebook.com/JoRowsHome
GPS track of the crossing available at: www.tinyurl.com/JoRowsHome
Yorkshire Air Ambulance website: www.yorkshireairambulance.co.uk
Channel Islands Air Search website: www.ci-airsearch.com
Jo Brehaut can be contacted on: 07751 320262 or