History of Atlantic crossings
The great explorers Columbus and Magellan were among the better known of the early trans Atlantic sailors, although there are now many pieces of evidence being found which show that they were by no means the first.

Columbus
Columbus left for the new world in 1492 from La Gomera, the very spot where the Womble will leave (but Columbus wasn’t to know). He made it to the Bahamas in five weeks, and after a few months exploration of the Caribbean headed home again.

He made three more trips across the Atlantic before he died in 1506. For more on Columbus see this website: http://www1.minn.net/~keithp/

Magellan
Magellan set out in 1519 on his round the world trip and began by crossing the Atlantic to Brazil. He had an eventful time, not least when he was murdered in 1521 in the Philippines, his crew having to finish the journey alone. The following website has a good account of his journey: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/
1519magellan.html

The Fox
George Harboe and Frank Samuelson were Norwegian fishermen who emigrated to the USA in around 1800. They set out from New York on the 6th of June 1896 in an 18 foot open rowing boat called the FOX. They arrived in the Scilly Isles on the 1st of August.

Not content with this they set out again the following day to row to Coverack Cove. They then took a tow from a steamer to their intended destination Le Havre. Their journey was incredible and a comprehensive daily log tells the full story on the Ocean Rowing Society (ORS) website.

Chay Blyth and John Ridgeway
Blyth and Ridgeway rowed the Atlantic in 1966 from Newfoundland to Ireland in 92 days. Both Army men they inspired many more people to have a go, again a full account of their epic voyage can be found on the ORS website.

Chay Blyth went on to begin the Challenge Business and enabled many more people to take up the oars when he inaugurated the races for which Womble was built. He was knighted in 1997. John Ridgeway runs an outward bound school in the North West of Scotland.

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