Couple to try Atlantic voyage for Concern

An Irish man and his girfriend will undertake the challenge of a lifetime this weekend when they compete in a 3,000-mile rowing race across the Atlantic Ocean.

Limerick man Paul Gleeson (aged 29) and his Canadian girlfriend Tori Holmes (aged 21) hope to raise €250,000 for Concern by the time they have completed their transatlantic voyage.

The couragous couple will leave from La Gomera Port in the Canary Islands this Sunday. They hope to reach Antigua in two months' time.

Only two Irish people having ever completed the marathon journey and Canadian-born Tori Holmes is aiming to become the first Canadian person ever to take part in the event.

The couple, who met in Australia when they took part in a charity cycle from Perth to Sydney, had never rowed before they decided to undertake this challenge, which has cost them €80,000.

Organised by English company Woodvale Events, the inaugural race took place in 1997 and to date only 141 people have completed the race.

During their voyage, which covers 3,000 nautical miles, Paul and Tori will sleep on the boat and they must bring enough food and water supplies to allow them to survive at sea.

The couple will be rowing in a boat which was given to them by Irish brothers Eamonn and Peter Kavanagh, the only Irish people to have ever taken part in the event.

"They gave us the boat on condition that we wouldn't rename it - it's named after their late mother, Christina - and also on condition that we don't quit," said Paul.

"If we quit during the race then the organisers will burn our boat as we cannot leave debris out at sea.

"Obviously Eamon and Peter don't want their boat burned…The past month has been absolutely crazy as we tried to get everything organised to ship the boat.

"We managed to get everything together and on Thursday, October 6, the Christina began her trip out to the Canary Islands for the race start on November 27."

Along with many of the other boats competing in the race, the Christina was shipped to La Gomera in a 40-foot container.

Getting boats to the starting line can prove very difficult, according to Paul, and out of the 48 teams that originally entered the race, only 27 teams have managed to get their boats to La Gomera in time.

"To win the race we would have to complete it in 40 days and, even though both myself and Tori are extremely competitive, I don't think we'll achieve this given that we will be competing against some world-champion rowers," said Paul.

"Our aim is to complete it in 60 days. It's going to be tough but we are both really looking forward to it."

Anyone interested in supporting Paul and Tori's charity fundraiser or finding out about their progress can contact their website, www.row4concern.com