Mick Birchall and Richard Box will attempt to race what the organisers say is ‘the toughest race on earth’. This description must seem miles away from the desk job Mick inhabits. He has lived and worked in Oundle for the last ten years as a Detective Inspector with Cambridgeshire Police. Now he has even greater sights in mind, crossing the Atlantic by boat. The 2500 nautical mile race will take from 36 to over 100 days and life on board will be far from easy.

The transatlantic journey will take them from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean island of Antigua. The brave duo will have to face the dizzy depths of the Atlantic Ocean as they swim under the boat to clear off barnacles that home themselves on the hull and slow the boat down. This in itself is reasonably hazardous and frightening, but adding to this danger is the sharks! Yes, there is an abundance of sharks swimming the ocean and the majority of racers encounter at least one shark per race. It’s a chilling thought but Mick is optimistic that his inner-self will pull him through. “I’ve always felt that I’ve got a big challenge in me, and I think this is the perfect one to test that out.”

The boat is small and 40ft waves will be awaiting the pair. The twosome will take it in turns to row for two hours each. There is a tiny cabin where they can eat or get some much needed sleep when not rowing. If they become hungry Mick and Richard will have to eat the dehydrated foods stored aboard the boat. A specially designed sea water filter will help in hydrating the food and make the salt water potable. It’s a daunting challenge but there is plenty of time for the men to prepare. They are taking part in the December 2009 race.

Of course no man would put themselves through this challenge just for fun. Money will be raised for the NSPCC, and sponsors both corporate and private are being encouraged to sponsor the duo. They hope that sponsorship will help attract as much publicity and prestige as possible. Mick is no expert and yet not a novice. He is working towards rowing coaching qualifications and has been at Oundle Town Rowing club for three years. The challenge is massive but the two man team are confident that they can pull through and produce the goods.