USA: FOUR DUTCH ROWERS SET OFF FROM NEW JERSEY TO BEAT 109-YEAR-OLD RECORD FOR CROSSING THE ATLANTIC UNAIDED

Record ID: 646677

  • Title: USA: FOUR DUTCH ROWERS SET OFF FROM NEW JERSEY TO BEAT 109-YEAR-OLD RECORD FOR CROSSING THE ATLANTIC UNAIDED
  • Date: 27th May 2005
  • Summary: (BN16) ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NEW JERSEY, USA (MAY 27, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. PAN TO DUTCH ROWERS' BOAT MOORED IN MARINA 0.07 2. VARIOUS OF ROWERS PREPARING BOAT (3 SHOTS) 0.25 3. SPENCER SAMUELSON, GRANDSON OF NORWEGIAN RECORD HOLDER, WATCHING PREPARATIONS 0.32 4. BAGS OF FOOD BEING LOADED ONTO BOAT 0.42 5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SPENCER SAMUELSON, GRANDSON OF RECORD HOLDER,SAYING: "I hope they break it and at the same time I hope they don't -- you know! No, I hope they break it, I hope they make it safely anyway, that's the important thing" 0.53 6. ROWER WITH SAMUELSON 0.59 7. ROWERS TESTING GEAR 1.11 8. VARIOUS OF ROWERS SAYING GOODBYE TO LOCAL PEOPLE (2 SHOTS) 1.22 9. ROWER SITTING IN BOAT 1.29 10. BOAT LEAVING 1.38 11. LOCAL PEOPLE WATCHING AND CHEERING 1.42 12. BOAT LEAVING HARBOUR 1.53 13. CROWD WATCHING 1.57 14. LV: BOAT LEAVING 2.05 15. CU: SISTER OF ROWER JAAP KOOOMEN TAKING PHOTOGRAPH AS BOAT LEAVES 2.10 16. LV: BOAT HEADING OUT OF HARBOUR 2.19 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 11th June 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NEW JERSEY, USA
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA56TA4IZPJ6Y2T3F4JM3FH249L
  • Story Text: Dutch rowers set out to break 109-year old Atlantic
    record.


    Four Dutch rowers set off from the USA on Friday
    (May 27) in an attempt to beat the 109-year-old record for
    crossing the Atlantic.

    The rowers must make it unaided to the United Kingdom
    in less than 55 days to beat the record set in 1896 by two
    Norwegian oyster fishermen, Frank Samuelson and George
    Harbo, who set off from the same spot -- Atlantic
    Highlands, New Jersey.

    Samuelson's grandson, Spencer Samuelson, lives in
    Pennsylvania and saw the rowers off on Friday, saying he
    had mixed feelings about the record attempt.

    "I hope they break it and at the same time I hope they
    don't -- you know! No, I hope they break it, I hope they
    make it safely anyway, that's the important thing."
    There have been 34 recorded attempts and only 12
    successful crossings since 1896, in spite of the huge leaps
    in technology since 1896.

    The team comprise Gijs Groneveld, Robert Hoeve, Maarten
    Staarink and Jaap Koomen and they said the most difficult
    thing will be staying positive when things get tough.

    In order to qualify as a new record, the four rowers
    must row the 3,500 nautical miles unaided; Samuelson and
    Harbo got supplies from passing ships.

    The Dutch four have spent the past two-and-a-half years
    preparing for the journey.

    They are carrying 56 days' worth of freeze-dried food,
    a water desalinator, gas stove and a bucket for a toilet.


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