Breaking records

30 January 2013

World Record Rowing Attempt supported by green energy uk

An attempt to break the world record by rowing across the Atlantic in less than 30 days, backed by a sustainable energy provider, is now underway. The effort is sponsored by green energy uk, which also sponsors the Cycling Touring Club’s elite professional women’s team, to consolidate its support of "non-carbon, carbon sports".

A supplier of electricity from 100 per sustainable sources, green energy uk supports sporting efforts and challenges that share its ethos of drawing on natural power, and which do not generate carbon emissions.

The eight-strong rowing team is led by 31-year-old James Cowan, who is joined by Benno Rawlinson, Calum McNicol, Jan Oner, Leven Brown, Tim Spiteri, Livar Nysted and Peter Fleck. James was born in Durban, South Africa, and has always been a keen endurance athlete, having completed the London and Shanghai Marathons, Marathon des Sables (2nd British finisher), Jungle Marathon, Verdon Ultra, half and full Ironman triathlons as well as 10km swims. To complete the challenge, the team members will conduct gruelling two-hour-on, two-hour-off rowing cycles.

Doug Stewart, CEO at green energy uk, says: “We’re proud and very excited to be involved with this remarkable challenge. The rowing team is utilising natural power to achieve its aims, which is very much in line with our ethos of buying energy from natural and sustainable sources. The rowing challenge is now in full swing and the guys are doing well in this mentally and physically exhausting feat. We are glued to our laptops following the teams’ progress via the website and the Twitter feed. “Added to our support of the CTC’s female cycling team, this strengthens our commitment to helping to raise the profile of sport in general and being active. We also actually think it’s quite an interesting observation that the ‘vehicles’ in both of these sports are made from carbon, yet don’t generate any!”

As reducing carbon footprint has increasingly become a consideration for consumers and business owners alike, green energy uk enables people to make a difference without significant effort or cost. Providing electricity from 100 per cent sustainable sources, it champions the lesser known energy generation technologies as well as more commonly used sources such as wind, solar and hydro power.