Naked ambition! Why one woman rower stripped off with her five-man crew to break a world record
By RYAN KISIEL
Last updated at 11:27 PM on 8th February 2011
Last updated at 11:27 PM on 8th February 2011
The bare cheek of it! British athlete Naomi Hoogesteger joined her male teammates in stripping naked to heal their blisters during their record-breaking row
As the only woman in a six-person boat, Naomi Hoogesteger must have felt a little left out occasionally.
Especially when the rest of her crew started rowing naked to avoid blisters during their attempt to break the record for crossing the Atlantic.
But when you’re part of a team, you have to fit in. And although the 29-year-old was keen to save her blushes, eventually she decided the blisters were more painful.
So she stripped off too.
‘It was a little bit more embarrassing for me as the only woman with five men,’ admitted the Durham University lecturer.
But there was nothing else for it.
‘The blisters and sores on our backsides were bad and becoming infected. The only way we could treat them and continue rowing was to expose them to nature’s own remedy, sun and air.
‘It did mean that at times we had to row naked but if that was what was required to break the world record, then there was no choice. I decided to strip naked on day three or four because I had some big sores on my bottom and just thought I had to do it. My crew had stripped off the day before and were just getting on with it.
‘Being the fastest ever rowers across the Atlantic was all that mattered,’ said the former Great Britain rower.
But she added: ‘I’ve seen enough male dangly bits over the last month to last me a lifetime.’
Thankfully, Miss Hoogesteger’s efforts were worth it. The British team, called Hallin, broke the world record for the 3,000-mile row after crossing the finishing line in 31 days, 23 hours and 31 minutes, beating the previous record by 20 hours and 14 minutes.
Journey's end: A weary Team Hallin near Barbados on Monday, after the 3,000-mile row. But their efforts were rewarded as they broke the world record
Their boat crossed the finish line at Port St Charles, Barbados, on Monday night after setting sail from Tenerife on January 6.
The oars on board the 40ft trimaran vessel never stopped moving as the crew rowed in two shifts of three.
Naked ambition: Team Hallin, pictured on arrival in Barbados last night, were so determined to break a world record that they rowed nude so air could heal excruciating blisters and they wouldn't have to slow down
Each shift rowed for two hours and then used their two-hour break to eat, repair the boat and sleep. Each rower lost more than 2st on the voyage.
They endured 30ft waves, narrowly escaped being hit by a Russian cargo ship and were even hit by flying fish.
Amazing pace: The crew, seen here rowing into Port St Charles yesterday, shattered the old record for rowing across the Atlantic by more than 20 hours
The skipper, 56-year-old former Royal Navy Commander David Hosking, who lives in Wimbledon, said: ‘It was fantastic teamwork from an amazing bunch.’
The team, which also included Jack Stonehouse, 21, from Bristol, Paddy Thomas, 28, from Dorset, Justin Johanneson, 35, from London, and Chris Covey, 25, from Cambridge, is raising money for veterans’ charity Combat Stress.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1354854/Woman-spends-31-days-rowing-Atlantic-NAKED-5-men.html#ixzz1DQ5zw43D
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