Invictus Atlantic Team Sets Off to Raise £100,000 for Cornish Mental Health Charity

Four Friends Embark on 3,000-Mile Adventure Across the Atlantic

Four friends have begun a monumental 3,000-mile rowing journey across the Atlantic Ocean to raise £100,000 for the Cornish mental health charity Invictus Trust. The team, known as Invictus Atlantic, set off this morning (11th December) from La Gomera in the Canary Islands, bound for Antigua in the Caribbean.

The crew, comprised of skipper James Brittain-Long, 59, Paul Hayes, 61, Luke Morgan, 61, and David Radford-Wilson, 58, are taking part in The World’s Toughest Row, an annual race that challenges participants to row non-stop for around six weeks.

Six Weeks of Round-the-Clock Rowing

Rowing in shifts of two hours on, two hours off, the team will endure gruelling conditions, including waves up to 40 feet high. Each member will consume the equivalent of 26 Mars bars (about 6,000 calories) daily to sustain their energy levels.

The group’s boat, Invictus Atlantic, was meticulously packed over nine days using a 272-item checklist provided by race organisers. Their supplies include 300kg of high-energy dehydrated food, immersion suits, sunblock, emergency water supplies, parachute flares, and baby wipes.

Speaking before their departure, James said: “This has been two years in the making and apart from a last minute wobble with our portable water-maker we’re ready to go and can’t wait to get rowing.”

Raising Funds for a Vital Cause

The team’s goal is to raise £100,000 to fund the Invictus Trust’s pilot counselling service for 11 to 21-year-olds in Cornwall. This service, launched in January, supports young people experiencing mental health challenges.

The Invictus Trust was established in 2011 by the Cowburn family from Truro in memory of Ben Cowburn, who tragically took his own life at 18 after battling mental illness.

James, who will celebrate his 60th birthday mid-Atlantic, reflected on the importance of the mission: “Invictus Trust does amazing and much-needed work for young people throughout Cornwall. We’ve had amazing support so far and we hope people will follow our regular updates on Instagram and our Invictus Atlantic website and donate what they can.”

Photo: Invictus Atltanic crew l-r Luke-James-David-Paul –  Credit: World’s Toughest Row

Support from Cornish Businesses

The team has received sponsorship from 34 businesses, many of them Cornish, including lead sponsor Aspects Holidays, part of the Hayle-based Sapphire Holidays group.

Mandy Spencer, commercial director of Aspects Holidays, praised the effort: “This is an epic challenge for an amazing Cornish charity and we’re proud to support the Invictus Atlantic team. Adolescent mental health is a vital issue, and we wish the crew every success in their adventure.”

Follow Their Journey

The Invictus Atlantic team will spend Christmas and New Year at sea, rowing around the clock. Updates on their progress can be found on Instagram at @invictus.atlantic.row and on their race diary at invictusatlantic.com/race-diary, where donations can also be made.

Their departure was brought forward by 24 hours due to forecast winds, and the crew joins 37 other boats in this year’s challenge. As they tackle the Atlantic, they carry with them the hopes of raising vital funds for young people in Cornwall.

Photo Credit: World’s Toughest Row