The Brightsides Atlantic Row’s Post

Aboard their rowing boat the team had millions of calories worth of specially formulated dehydrated meals that would give them maximum calories. But for Rod, it was a simple pack of Tesco noodles that did it for him. 🍜 • A meal he referred to as 'pure heaven'. 😇 • And whilst we now need to go and recalibrate what heaven looks like - it does highlight an important point; food aboard the boat is really important from an energy perspective - but it's also really important from a psychological perspective. 🧠 • Sure, Tesco noodles are not as calorie dense as the other meals aboard - but it was a little bowl of happiness for Rod, and as he sat there, with his heavenly meal, watching the sun go down, with this three friends...that boat was a very happy place to be in deed. ☺️ • One of the reasons for sharing some of these insights is to remind everyone that the team are still raising money for Get A-Head Charitable Trust and Meningitis Now - if you enjoyed following the team and didn't have a chance to donate - now is the time! Make your donation at https://lnkd.in/ewFcK9Vg or use the text messaging service: TEXT ROW1 to 70191 to DONATE £10 TEXT ROW3 to 70191 to DONATE £30 • Lodders Solicitors LLP Bromwich Hardy • #thebrightsides #brightsides #oceanrowing #rannoch #atlanticocean #atlanticrow #oceanrow #oceanlife #rowing #rowinglife #atlanticdash #getahead #meningitisnow

Wow!!! 🤯 • Footage from the stormy weather earlier in the row gives us an idea of how strong the conditions were, and why the team were sometimes unable to row into those conditions. 😯 • Other than waves kicking the boat around, we can see by the two lines running away from the boat in this video, that they're on para-anchor in this clip. 🪂⚓ • The left hand line is the main para-anchor line, a HUGE 70 metres of line leading to the canopy that is holding them fast in the water. The right hand line is an even longer 95 metres of line; this is the retrieval line and is made out of material that floats (to help keep it separate from the main line). This line goes all the way out and is connected to the crown of the canopy, so that when it is pulled, it easily collapses the parachute and the whole system can be hauled back to the boat. 👌 • Mostly though, it was just WILD out there!! Thankfully conditions are a little easier at this stage in the row! 🙌 • Throughout this crossing the team will be raising money for Get A-Head Charitable Trust and Meningitis Now - please donate today at https://lnkd.in/ewFcK9Vg or use the text messaging service: TEXT ROW1 to 70191 to DONATE £10 TEXT ROW3 to 70191 to DONATE £30 • Lodders Solicitors LLP Bromwich Hardy • #thebrightsides #brightsides #oceanrowing #rannoch #atlanticocean #atlanticrow #oceanrow #oceanlife #rowing #rowinglife #atlanticdash #getahead #meningitisnow

That finish line is drawing nearer

Great insight into their current navigational planning.

The Brightsides present...the ocean going version of the Teletubbies? 🤔 • These fetching outfits are the team's survival suits...and ideally, they never want to wear them again! 😬 • These suits are designed to protect the wearer if they find themselves in the water for some reason. They can be put on completely within 2 minutes, and help to ensure the wearers body temperature doesn't fall more than 2 degrees within 6 hours of floating in the water. 😯 • It's worth mentioning that the guys do have a life raft, and even if the rowing boat got a large hole in it, it would just flood one section and the boat will still float. So just floating in the water in this suit is unlikely to ever happen. Clearly, nobody ever wants to wear this suit, but the team have to be prepared for anything out here, and practising donning it within the required 2 minutes was part of the drills before they pushed off from land. • The mood is good on board - and with less then 500 miles to go it should be!! Exciting times ahead! 🤩 • Throughout this crossing the team will be raising money for Get A-Head Charitable Trust and Meningitis Now - please donate today at https://lnkd.in/ewFcK9Vg or use the text messaging service: TEXT ROW1 to 70191 to DONATE £10 TEXT ROW3 to 70191 to DONATE £30  • Lodders Solicitors LLP Bromwich Hardy • #thebrightsides #brightsides #oceanrowing #rannoch #atlanticocean #atlanticrow #oceanrow #oceanlife #rowing #rowinglife #atlanticdash #getahead #meningitisnow 

10 minutes in to what was perhaps the longest, hardest journey of their lives, the team were absolutely powering away on the oars at 4.3 knots! 🏎️ • They didn't see 4.3 knots very often on their row - they also didn't see such good weather very often! 😬 • In the video we can see Fuerteventura in the background. The team headed down the east coast of this island, unlike the year before when the teams all headed down the west side of the island. This is a decision that is largely made for the teams by the weather. 🌬️ • One thing that didn't change throughout the race, was the team being absolutely on fire(!) - they were incredible from start to finish, in what was one of the toughest Atlantic seasons, weather-wise, in recent memory. 🌊 • One of the reasons for sharing some of these insights is to remind everyone that the team are still raising money for Get A-Head Charitable Trust and Meningitis Now - if you enjoyed following the team and didn't have a chance to donat - now is the time! Make your donation at https://lnkd.in/ewFcK9Vg or use the text messaging service: TEXT ROW1 to 70191 to DONATE £10 TEXT ROW3 to 70191 to DONATE £30  • Lodders Solicitors LLP Bromwich Hardy • #thebrightsides #brightsides #oceanrowing #rannoch #atlanticocean #atlanticrow #oceanrow #oceanlife #rowing #rowinglife #atlanticdash #getahead #meningitisnow

Whilst the Brightsides have had to take a deeper course than expected, due to the winds, and it's delayed them much more than they'd hoped...perhaps surprisingly they're considerably further ahead then the crews of the 2023 Atlantic Dash were last year. 😯 • From a race perspective, there is no real comparison between years - it doesn't necessarily mean that the Brightsides are any stronger than the teams last year, but from a weather perspective it certainly is comparable. 📈📉 • Last year the two teams had similar boats to this year, a Rannoch R45 and a Rossiters 2 - but whilst they had a faster start, and were able to take a shorter route, last year got hit by the unhelpful winds later in the race! 💨 • So whilst the Brightsides' morale took a dip at one point because of their progress...they're actually the fastest team to enter this event so far! 🏎️ • Throughout this crossing the team will be raising money for Get A-Head Charitable Trust and Meningitis Now - please donate today at https://lnkd.in/ewFcK9Vg or use the text messaging service: TEXT ROW1 to 70191 to DONATE £10 TEXT ROW3 to 70191 to DONATE £30 • Lodders Solicitors LLP Bromwich Hardy • #thebrightsides #brightsides #oceanrowing #rannoch #atlanticocean #atlanticrow #oceanrow #oceanlife #rowing #rowinglife #atlanticdash #getahead #meningitisnow

Friends: As many of you know, I have been honored with being selected to participate in the Leadership Paulding class #34 through the Paulding County Chamber of Commerce - Georgia for 2023-2024. As part of this program, we are performing a service project as a way to give back and improve upon our local county and the community. 2023-2024 LP34 Service Project: Truth In Nature - Dock We are trying to raise funds to build a lake dock fit for boating, fishing, and swimming for Truth in Nature at their reservation in Rockmart. During peak periods, they have as many as 40 boys and their mentors at the lake. Presently, they have no dock and the only way to get in and out or close to the water is the old-fashioned way — through the mud. Truth in Nature is an outdoor ministry that exists to reach, inspire, support, and engage boys from fatherless single-parent homes. They are taught to understand their purpose as Christian Men in an outdoor setting with volunteers who care about them — and about breaking the existing fatherless cycle locally and across America today. Within the next 60 days, we are seeking to raise $25k or more for this much-needed project and we simply cannot do it without your help. 100% of all proceeds raised will be used for the dock or, if we have enough funds, additional projects and/or equipment for Truth In Nature. Truth In Nature, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and all donations are tax deductible. No amount is too small (I mean that…). Please click the link below and select “Leadership Paulding - Dock Fund” from the Fund dropdown menu on the donation form. https://lnkd.in/dGwAj6GD

Every Guide Dog handler - and Guide Dog - is different. Part of building an effective team is finding the right dog for the client. Although a team working together can look like magic, we often don't see the communication and bond between a dog and their handler. The handler will direct the dog using their orientation skills, and the dog will help their handler navigate around obstacles, stop at kerbs and locate objectives. Some dogs are better at certain aspects of these "guiding skills" than others - so part of the matching process is understanding the dog's strengths and weaknesses and pairing them with a client with a complimentary skillset. The team works together to travel safely and confidently - it's not as magic as it appears! Consider donating to the IGDF to support Guide Dog organisations around the world: https://lnkd.in/ggzrXR7S Image Description: A Guide Dog handler prepares to board a bus with their black Labrador Guide Dog who is wearing a white harness. The handler, who also holds a long cane, has stopped at a patch of tactile indicators with their dog sitting beside them. Thank you to VBM Guide Dogs for this photo. #guidedog #workingdog #guide #internationalguidedogs #igdf #donate #fundraising #support #visionary #help

https://lght.ly/02o5lph Take your passion for travel and wild tigers to a new level when you book your holiday via charitable travel. Every time you book via this link you help us to raise money to protect wild tigers