The Angels in the media!

We will keep this page updated with any media coverage of our adventure. If you are a journalist and would like to contact the Atlantic Angels, please do so via the details on our contact page. Either give us a call, or drop us an email and we will send you our most recent press release. Many thanks.

Sorry!

We have not quite kept this page up to date as promised. We have had loads of press coverage - if you google any of our names you can find us in some quite surprising places! We've been in a lot of local press in Lancashire, Oxfordshire, Essex, and London; several boating publications; several online forums; apparently woman and home magazine; Barbudan news... and the list goes on! We're still hoping to get more coverage in the next couple of weeks before we depart - so keep a look out!

Tues 2nd Oct

Lancashire Evening Post (click here)

Monday October 1st

This morning we're in Metro (click here) and The Bolton News (click here), and - get this - Practical Boat Owner (click here)! Hopefully the first of many....!

Also on the BBC news online (click here)

Fiona will be interviewed live on LBC (1152 AM) at 15.46 today! You can hear it on the Latest News page.

Also on This is Lancashire (click here)

Rachel stars on Radio Lancashire!

Rachel was interviewed on the BBC Lancashire breakfast show at about 8.15am on 28th September.

Press release for launch of FaceBoat

Embargo: 00:01 Monday 01 October 2007

Four blondes, four oars and some awesome girl power!

‘ATLANTIC ANGELS’ TO ROW INTO RECORD BOOKS WITH 25,000 SUPPORTERS ONBOARD ‘FACEBOAT’ FOR CANCER CHARITIES'

Four inspirational women, the ‘Atlantic Angels’, will attempt to break two world records when they take part in the Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race later this year in an effort to raise money for three cancer charities with the launch today of their unique ‘Faceboat’ fundraising campaign.

The Atlantic Angels are attempting to break the existing all-female fours Atlantic crossing time of 67 days, 7 hours and 20 minutes. If successful, 17-year-old crew member Rachel Flanders, from Lancashire, will become the youngest person to have rowed across an ocean. The girls are determined to break the two records in admiration of 32-year-old crew member Fiona Waller, from Clapham, South London, who is herself a recent cancer survivor.

The hull of their rowing boat, Faceboat, will be covered with the pictures of 25,000 supporters, each donating £10 to jump aboard at www.atlantic-angels.co.uk. Through their innovative Faceboat fundraising campaign, the Angels hope to raise a total of £250,000 for Cancer Research UK, Helen Rollason Heal Cancer Charity and Trinity Hospice in Clapham. Having the faces of friends, family and other supporters onboard will certainly help the Angels through the difficult and lonely times of the challenge – particularly Christmas and New Year.

The Atlantic Angels are currently the only ‘women's-four’ to enter the 2007 Woodvale Challenge – the world’s toughest rowing race. It will be the biggest challenge, achievement and adventure of their lives and will stretch them to the limits of their physical and mental endurance.

Says Rachel Flanders: “I am relishing the challenge of becoming the youngest ever person to row across the Atlantic. Although I am still young, I have no doubt that this will be the most challenging and most amazing thing I will ever do in my life. We have to row Faceboat across the Atlantic with no engine and no sails. Just one big ocean, four girls, four oars, muscle power and determination! I’ll miss all my friends at Bolton Girls School, but being able to do is an opportunity not to be missed. I know they’ll be following my journey and cheering me on!"

Cancer survivor Fiona wanted to do something amazing to raise money for cancer charities after recently getting the ‘all-clear’ from the disease. She says: “I saw my mother, Elisabeth, go through and eventually die from cancer seven years ago. I was also diagnosed with cervical cancer two years ago, so I have seen the impact this disease can have. Unfortunately it seems to be more and more common - everyone I talk to has been touched by cancer in some way.

“Taking on this personal challenge is my way of saying thank you to those special people that helped my mother and myself whilst suffering from cancer. The money raised through Faceboat will go towards improving research into diagnosis, treatment and cure of cancer – as well as improving the quality of life of those going through the disease.”

The driving forces behind the team are Oxfordshire-based 24-year-old Sarah Duff, from Whitchurch Hill, and 32-year-old Clair Desborough, from Henley-on Thames. Both Sarah and Clair row for Upper Thames Rowing Club, based in Henley-on Thames.

Says Sarah: “We hope people will be really excited by this challenge and want to get involved. We need everyone who would like to support the Atlantic Angels and our charities to sign up on our Faceboat website. Visitors can choose the position on the hull of Faceboat where they would like their picture to be positioned, make a donation to secure the place and you’re on board!”

Adds Clair: “Just think, you can say you crossed the Atlantic on a rowing boat without even having to lift an oar - leave that to us! The more people that help, the more faces there will be on the boat and the more money we will raise for our cancer charities.”

The Atlantic Angels have a rigorous training regime to prepare them for the challenge where they will have to row 2 hours on, 2 hours off, all day every day over the 2,500 nautical miles from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to English Harbour in Antigua. The crossing will see them face sleep deprivation, salt sores and the physical extremes that the row will inflict. They will be at the mercy of the weather from extreme heat to mountainous waves, not to mention dodging commercial ships!

To keep their energy levels up they will have to eat 7,000 calories of freeze-dried army rations a day, and make their own drinking water with a desalinator. The Angels are asking their friends to provide them with music playlists and messages of support to help them through the testing times. The Atlantic Angels will be updating their blog on www.atlantic-angels.co.uk regularly to keep their supporters up to date with progress and morale on board Faceboat.

To secure a place on the Atlantic Angels’ Faceboat and to be a part of their inspirational challenge to raise money for their chosen cancer charities visit www.atlantic-angels.co.uk. The Atlantic Angels are still looking for enthusiastic partners for sponsorship of project costs. Anyone who would like to support such a great cause and challenge should call Fiona Waller on 07985 962427.