Burnham: Rowing challenge doesn't faze Charlie (From Maldon and Burnham Standard)

Burnham: Rowing challenge doesn't faze Charlie

5:00pm Thursday 27th September 2012 in Local News

A Burnham sailor is hoping to topple a world record by rowing solo across the Atlantic in just 40 days.

Royal Burnham Yacht Club member Charlie Pitcher, 49, set a British record of 52 days, six hours and 48 minutes in 2010, but is hoping to go one better.

The father-of-four, who was born and bred in Burnham and now lives with his family in Felsted, will set off on the epic voyage in January.

Starting in Gran Canaria, he will travel 3,000 gruelling miles across the Atlantic Ocean, sleeping for just four hours per day, before reaching Barbados.

Mr Pitcher, who expects to row for more than 24 hours in a row at some stages, has been training on the River Crouch three days a week, as well as working with trainer and former Olympic modern pentathlete Greg Whyte.

The existing world record of 40 days, nine hours and 44 minutes was set in January by fellow Brit Andrew Brown, who also trained in Burnham.

But Mr Pitcher is confident it can be beaten.

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