An epic challenge
Five epic adventurers are taking on the world’s toughest rowing challenge – crossing the Pacific, unsupported, in an open rowing boat – to raise vital funds to help people affected by brain tumours. They go by the name of Ocean5.
The Ocean5 crew, made up of Kevin Gaskell, his son Matt Gaskell, the boat’s captain Tom Higham, Patrick Deacon, and Stephen Greenan, is training in Lymington, Hampshire. But they’ll compete against teams from across the world when they attempt to break the world record. They’re aiming to complete the 2,800 nautical mile route from Monterey in California to Hanalei Kauai in Hawaii in less than 52 days.
Kevin, 66, from Newbury, who was the youngest Managing Director of Porsche, Lamborghini and BMW, will also set a new world record as the oldest person to row across the Pacific. He already shares the world record for crossing the Atlantic.
In a recorded interview, Lewis Moody, MBE – who had been invited to take part in the challenge – expressed his ‘heartfelt thanks’ to Kevin and the crew, but said he thought it was “bonkers!”
You can watch the full conversation between Lewis and Kevin on YouTube below and find out how you can get involved in the challenge as an individual, as a business or as a school:
The Ocean5 crew versus Mother Nature
Living off freeze-dried rations, pork scratchings and protein bars, the Ocean5 crew will need to consume around 6000 calories a day and generate their own water to provide 10 litres each per day.
Other challenges include generating their own power supply from solar panels while coping with sleep deprivation, sea sickness, salt sores, isolation, physical exhaustion and facing the unrelenting forces of mother nature at her fiercest with waves up to 30-foot high.
Between us we have trekked to the North and South Poles, climbed the world’s highest mountains, sailed the seven seas, carried the Olympic torch, represented our countries as athletes, set world records for the fastest rows across the Atlantic and around Great Britain. But this will test our resilience to the limit; the boat will not stop and we’ll each be rowing for two hours on, two hours off.”
Kevin Gaskell
Their supplies and plans had to approved by the US Coastguard and then the nine-metre-long boat was shipped out to the US. The race itself starts on 8th June. But the team has completed 240 hours of training and they now feel like “a well-oiled machine.”
Who’s taking part?
Skipper Tom Higham, 37, from Bristol, rowed across the Atlantic in 2021.
He also swam from Europe to Asia across the Hellespont, drove a Fiat Panda from London to Mongolia and raced 1000km across the Atlas Mountains on a mini–Honda Monkey Bike. He enjoys endurance adventures and came in the top 100 during the Marathon des Sables.
Business leader Kevin Gaskell is a professional speaker whose book ‘Catching Giants’ was nominated for Business Book of the Year in 2023.
An experienced expedition leader, he has walked to both Poles, climbed some of the world’s highest mountains and was a member of the five-man crew which set the world record for crossing the Atlantic in 2019.
The team medic is Kevin’s son Matt Gaskell, 33, from Southampton. He has taken part in expeditions since he was 17 – including walking to both Poles and being part of the Atlantic rowing crew in 2019.
Matt has degrees in medicine and conservation biology. An Olympic torchbearer, he enjoys competing in ultras and triathlons.
Patrick Deacon, 40, from Hinkley in Leicestershire, became a martial arts champion at 16 and has represented England internationally.
He spent a year living in the remote Amazon jungle, drove a 35-year-old Reliant Robin from the UK to Mongolia, cycled across Europe, completed several first ascent rock climbing routes in Greenland and has traversed the deserts of Oman. He also holds a world record for the fastest mixed crew to row around Great Britain in 2024.
Stephen Greenan, 40, from Dublin, has cycled across America, hiked the Annapurna Circuit, skied in Europe, Canada, and Japan, and surfed in Sri Lanka, Bali, and California.
As a health and fitness professional, he was the performance medicine therapist on tour with Cirque du Soleil.
The star of the show: the boat
- The Lady Jane II is a 9.6m long Rannoch RX45 constructed of carbon fibre.
- It has three rowing positions and two small cabins for shelter.
- Solar panels power navigation, communications and water filtration.
- It weighs 470kg unladen but 1500kg when fully laden and crewed.
- It will carry 500kg of freeze-dried food; enough to sustain the crew for 55 days.
About The Lewis Moody Foundation
Inspired by young rugby fan Joss Rowley Stark, The Lewis Moody Foundation motivates individuals and companies to take on bold challenges to raise the vital funds needed to support people affected by brain tumours, as well as their families. The Foundation funds support to improve lives, funds pioneering research to change lives and raises awareness to save lives.
Wishing the crew fair seas when their adventure starts. And if you’d like to help them achieve their fundraising goal, you can donate here.