A CRICKETER will attempt to row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic ocean in memory of his pal, Rob George.

Joe Barnett, who bats for Colchester and East Essex Cricket Club, will be joined by three friends for the harrowing race to raise cash for the charity in Rob's name.

The Rob George Foundation was set up after the former Colchester Royal Grammar pupil died of leukaemia, aged 21 in 2013.

Joe, 25, met Rob through playing cricket when they were aged 13, and his rowing team will be taking part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, which could involve battling 50ft waves and super strength winds.

Joe, who grew up in Colchester and attended Holmwood House School, Lexden, said it was team mate and school friend Angus Collins, 26, from Burnham, who came up with the idea two years ago.

"His uncle is the defending world record holder in transatlantic rowing, so he has always wanted to do it.

"He asked me if I wanted to go with him on the boat."

The team also includes school friends Jack Mayhew, 26, and Gus Barton, 25, who come from Ipswich and Diss respectively.

Joe, who was Rob's last captain at the cricket club, said: "We leave from La Gomera island in the Canary Islands and we go west to Antigua.

"How long it will take us, is how long is a piece of string. It will depend on the weather conditions and hopefully it will be around 40 days."

The team's 8-metre long boat, Jean Mary, was built especially for them by Rannoch Adventure.

"We have got a quick boat. The design has done other crossings around the world.

"Bearing in mind the horrific weather we are hoping we will be alright," said Joe.

The team, named Ocean Reunion, will be equipped with calorific Army food rations to keep them going as they take it in turns to do two-hour long rowing shifts, in pairs.

While one pair is rowing, the other will be trying to catch 40 winks.

The course record for a four-person crew is 39 days.

Joe said the team had recently rowed 1,000 miles from Salcombe in Devon, to London, across a week.

Corporate sponsors meant they raised the £100,000 needed to pay for the boat, obtain relevant qualifications, kit, flights home and food.

Now they are keeping up daily gym work outs working on their core strength.

Joe said: "We are looking forward to it now. We have decided we are going to do it, for so long. Once we have done all the training we just want to go.

"I guess I am apprehensive but that's a given."

The progress of the team, who will be competing in the race against around 25 others, can be tracked via the Yellow Brick app.

They will set off on December 15.

 

 THE team's fundrasing campaign video launched on The Rob George Foundation Facebook page on Tuesday and by yesterday already had 10,000 views.

The page also has a link to make donations and the aim is to raise £20,000.

Rob's father Philip "Pip" George, said: "On the first day we raised well in excess of £1,000, that's a fantastic start.

"We knew some time ago Joe was doing the challenge but it was only about a week ago he chose to support the foundation.

"We are amazingly touched that anyone could feel enough about the foundation to feel they could possibly want to take on something like this, it is a very emotional experience."

Donate at mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/joebarnett1

For more information about the Rob Foundation go to therobgeorgefoundation.co.uk