Virgin Global Row

Virgin Global Row is an expedition mounted by Olly Hicks, the solo oarsman, to circumnavigate Antarctica. Having already solo-rowed the Atlantic, Olly Hicks anticipates taking some 18-22 months for the whole voyage around Antarctica and he will be at sea all that time, except for over-wintering on South Georgia. Hicks knowingly tackles what is arguably the world’s most hostile environment, the Southern Ocean, having made a prior recce trip aboard a larger vessel.

Hicks plans to circumnavigate Antarctica at roughly 55 degrees south, departing from Tasmania in January 2009. From there he will drop south to pass below New Zealand’s South Island before heading east across the South Pacific Ocean towards Cape Horn. Here Hicks aims to pass through the Drake Passage, at around 58 degrees south, before making course for South Georgia.

On departure from Tasmania there will be 360 days of provisions on board Hicks’ boat ‘The Flying Carrot’ but he intends to make landfall seven or so months into the journey to avoid a full winter at sea. Whether Hicks reaches South Georgia before winter moves-in remains to be seen; this is entirely dependent on what weather greets Hicks in the Southern Ocean. If conditions become too severe he will stop in Tierra del Fuego instead. However, plan A is to arrive in South Georgia some seven months into the expedition, hopefully around June 2009, to re-supply and over-winter there until October, when he will again take to the Southern Ocean and head eastwards to Tasmania. Hicks’ shore team will need to adapt its logistics planning for the time and location of the re-supply as the expedition develops.

Grapefruit Graphics are proud to be associated with Olly and Virgin Global Row having branded the boat for him in November 2008.

Good luck from the grapefruitgraphics Graphics team!

Follow Olly: www.virginglobalrow.com