No oar-dinary boys!

Adam Hewitt • Published 17 Sep 2009 08:30 0 Comments

THE two brave rowers who smashed a world record by becoming the youngest to conquer the Indian Ocean were honoured at a ceremony organised by The Chronicle.

They revealed that they came within minutes of death more than once - on one occasion when their tiny boat capsized and became entangled with its own anchor, and once when a supertanker missed them by just a stone's throw.

The 22-year-olds - James Thysse, from Odell Close, Lower Earley and Jamie Facer-Childs from Maidenhead - were congratulated on their epic 103 day achievement by the deputy mayor of Wokingham borough Cllr Dianne King and Mayor of Earley Cllr John Armstrong at the event last Wednesday.

Chronicle editor-in-chief Sally Stevens said the boys were "an inspiration".

Russell Slatford, from Reading Blue Coat School in Sonning where the pair met, said: "It's just such an amazing achievement, everyone at school is so proud. We were tracking their progress and were amazed and delighted they managed it."

The school raised more than £1,000 towards the lads' £9,000 fundraising haul for brain injury charity Headway and children's medical research organisation Sparks.

During the reception they revealed more of their story - such as how Jamie jumped into the ocean to swim with a grey whale nearly double the size of their 7m (23ft) boat.

They revealed that they came terrifyingly close to instant death when a massive tanker passed within 20m (66ft) of them in the pitch black of night. James said: "They would not have seen us at all, we would have just melted into the waves on their sensors. Had we started rowing five minutes earlier, it would have hit us. We would have had no chance at all."

During their 103 days at sea rowing from Western Australia to Mauritius, the pair were hit in the face by flying fish, rowed 74 miles in one back-breaking day and were confined to their tiny cabin for massive stretches while their boat was tossed around in 50ft waves.

Their food supplies fell short and for the last few days they were surviving on 2,000 calories a day instead of the recommended 6,000. But they never gave up, and even stuck to their rowing schedule of two-hour shifts.

When they finally reached the jetty in Mauritius, they had to clamber onto it unaided to stick to the rules of the land-to-land crossing.

James said: "To see our families stood there, it was just the most amazing feeling. But we honestly enjoyed all our days at sea. I think our natures helped get us through it, we didn't take it too seriously."

But his mum Anne, a midwife, said she cried herself to sleep when the boys first set off, worried she might never see her son again.

She said: "But seeing them come in over the horizon, it was just the best moment of my life, I don't think anything could beat it."

Lee Richards, manager of the Reading Moat House hotel at Sindlesham which kindly hosted the civic reception, said: "Congratulations to both of them. It was a pleasure to hold an event for such a great cause."

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