Rowers face brutal ROW4MND leg

A TEAM of charity ocean rowers set off from Port Logan on Friday as they continued their mission to circumnavigate the UK.

The ROW4MND team- made up for four experienced rowers - Mike Bates, Matt Parker, Aaron Kneebone and Gareth Timmins - departed at 10 pm, rowing towards the most northerly part of Scotland.

Their route, expected to take just over a week, will see them navigate some of the most dangerous tides and sea conditions in the world; including the Mull of Kintyre and Corryvreckan Whirlpool.

The endurance challenge to complete the circumnavigation of the UK began in 2025, with an overall mission to raise £57 million over four years for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) research and treatment.

Matt Parker, co-founder of ROW4MND, said: “This is going to be the hardest leg of the challenge yet. The tides are not going to be on our side for sections of this leg and given the technical difficulty and dangerous waters we will be navigating, there will times when discretion will have to be the better part of valour and we will need to be patient.

“We’ve covered some extremely hard miles so far on this challenge, and we’re under no illusion that plenty more are ahead. But we know that we’re doing everything in the name of raising awareness and money for a vitally important cause.”

They will be rowing between 60 to 70 miles a day, 24 hours a day.

Mike Bates, skipper and co-founder of ROW4MND, added: “The reality is that we need to be covering 60 or 70 miles a day through some of the most gruelling and dangerous waters. This will be a 24/7 challenge and we’re all going to have to dig deep. Supporters will be able to track us online and while that dot in the water looks steady, I assure you we will be in anything but calm waters.”

To follow the crew’s journey and donate, visit www.row4mnd.com or find @ROW4MND on Instagram.