in 2018 Colin abrini became the first
person ever to cross the Antarctic
continent alone unsupported and
completely human-powered now he's
trading his skis for orders as part of
an elite team attempting to become the
first people in history to roll from
South America to Antarctica through 600
miles of the most treacherous and
unpredictable waters on the planet the
Drake Passage
I'd say that is everyone yeah we're here
in Scotland for this test row bringing
the entire rowing team together for the
very first time because it's so
difficult to bring together this
international crew this is the only time
that we're gonna be together before
ultimately leaving to cross on the Drake
Passage so this time in Scotland
together is crucial to work out any
kinks to getting know each other a
little bit better find out any
inefficiencies in our boat or anything
we need to repair be ready to go because
the next time we're all together it's go
time the main hatch in the middle here
is completely flooded the biggest
problem here is we need this all for our
storage for food water etc we have
enough room right now but get it pumped
out before we leave and then make the
repair wing about typical II I've worked
with Colin as the athlete but now we've
got six athletes on board so it's a bit
more of a logistical challenge it's a
whole new exploration of adventure for
us but it's awesome the crew of people I
have assembled here are incredibly
talented some of them have rowed across
oceans other than our national champion
collegiate rowers to me this test row
probably the most important thing of all
of it is the teamwork element
oh my goodness ey right there oh my god
hey buddy that's a good omen sealion
sending us off yes you tomorrow yeah can
you put yours back forwards like you had
it all right
I had quite a bit of success in the
world of expedition incompletes
to the six inches right here I think
it's actually go time wait wait wait
stop stop stop calibrated for
calibrating the rudder yeah the biggest
challenge to me is always a fear of
technological failure John yeah because
it's tiny bit of electric just I put my
tools away haha because that's the only
thing that I ever failed in my
expeditions if anything yeah so this is
why we do that extra we do it to exclude
and eliminate any potential flaw and
failure yes the rudder wasn't moving in
the right way it's essentially reading
the opposite way that it should go so
like if we should be going right it's
actually going left positive negative
wires were switched up so we flipped
them around and the wires in there it's
pretty corroded out so I was trying to
like clean it out all right let's try it
again
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[Applause]
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you know in the other world records I've
completed they've been solo world
records but this is the first time I'm
actually setting off to break a world
record or a world first with a cohesive
team and I don't think it can be
understated the teamwork element of this
is huge when we're out there in the
middle of the Drake if we're not firing
on all cylinders as a team if we can't
trust one another and really believe in
one other it's all gonna fall apart
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we're all Tamila gonna be out on the
water for about 24 hours so we're gonna
be rowing for 90 minutes of rowing on 90
minutes off with sleep patterns that's a
little bit weird at first but over time
that's the best strategy so to really
test that alternate with different
people in shifts and see who rose well
with each other yes okay the sleeping
quarters are pretty tight there's little
things like once you get into the cabin
you're stepping on your bed and you'll
know where to make meals you're actually
lying down
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we're moving out from around the
protection of the island getting close
to the open ocean swells are increasing
up and down up and down cause it feels
like you're in a roller coaster if you
get hit by a big way if you got to hang
on for dear life
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this is probably like the easiest day in
the Drake and the Drake is going to be
10x harder than what we're experiencing
everyone knows the Drake Passage and
just how dangerous it is got a current
that goes a four knots an hour with no
landmass stopping it [ __ ] and waves
like freak when they get for 30 to 50
feet I was watching a video of cruise
ship crossing the Drake Passage and
they're just going up over these huge
waves and
it's where the entire force of the
Atlantic and Pacific Oceans converge
there is no much worse thing that you
can be facing when I think of it
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just finished an hour and a half of
working out time to eat
John is going up some spaghetti
carbonara John tell us about your binges
like that on one night I'm not sad 25 9
to 19 there we have it it's be Eddie
carbonara John not sad
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shift change I'm going out feelings
coming in yeah second day of the public
test rope let's go out while so far is
Jamie hey
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alright boys
it's beyond acidic I'm unbelievably
impressed - : comments never been in a
rowing boat before and he's coming here
within a day you know he's rowing
completely in sync with everyone else
well I asked calling if he wants to roll
with or against the wind he said that
the harder the better it's exactly the
kind of spirit I like to be in a team
with - we're smooth like butter right
now
yacon I'm feeling really really
confident excited we've learned about
each other we've learned about the boat
and we've learned a couple of tricks and
tips that we might not have known going
into this that we can take into the
Drake that will ultimately be the
difference between success and failure
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boy did it overall I'm really pleased
that said I'm glad we're not leaving for
the Drake tomorrow starting the blisters
just to come together they're like a
brand new crews being awesome definitely
seated max potations yeah so just really
looking forward to the Drake now good
job as soon as I first heard about it I
thought this was just the most crazy
expedition ever and I was like sign me
up okay you doing big thing
CP I don't think I'm gonna get another
chance like this in my life there's a
reason no one in the world has ever
wrote a boat across Drake Passage and so
I respect the power of the ocean and
hopefully we'll be able to find safe
passage follow the expedition in real
time on discovery