etui.se - kommunikation, prylar och allt annat fint » Gammalt och nytt

 

etui.se - kommunikation, prylar och allt annat fint » Gammalt och nytt

Outdoor Magazine - Voted Top 10 Personalities 2007

Bala's (aka Balaji) Charity Cycle... e-Sprit: From "Mahatma Gandhi" to "Bhavik Gandhi" ...

 

November 2, 2007

From "Mahatma Gandhi" to "Bhavik Gandhi" ...

(Photo Courtesy: Ocean rowing.com)
It was in early March this year, when I came across a news article about an Indian attempting to row across the Atlantic Ocean SOLO and UNSUPPORTED. Initially I wondered, as to why anyone would attempt something like that... I started to follow the journey of the modern day Gandhi's adventure (Bhavik Gandhi) and it became a daily ritual...
Reading about Bhavik's joyful stories of him swimming with the dolphins in the open Ocean, watching amazing sunsets and sunrises, enjoying the solitude, his ordeal of pumping for hours to make a litre of water using a manual hand pump, surviving and setting right a capsized rowboat, eating uncooked cold food, surviving on protein shakes made me realise that life is too short and unpredictable to keep complaining and live in fear... and that we need to follow our heart, our inner-calling, realise our goals and live in the moment...
In short, although, it was Gandhi - The Mahatma's life, which had influenced(awed) me all throughout until now, it took another Gandhi to plunge me into action... THANKS Bhavik !!!

Bala's (aka Balaji) Charity Cycle... e-Sprit: From "Mahatma Gandhi" to "Bhavik Gandhi" ...

Dhar's Blog: 1 Man, 1 Boat, 5000 Kms

 

October 09, 2005

1 Man, 1 Boat, 5000 Kms

2000 people have sailed the globe
1400 have climbed Mt. Everest
450 have been into Space
180 have been to the Poles
To date, there have been only 32 successful attempts at rowing Solo across the Atlantic.

My friend from Reliance days is attempting something truly phenomenal. Starting in December 2005, Bhavik will attempt to row 5000 kms across the Atlantic Ocean, from Spain to Barbados. While I am yet to confirm with Bhavik, I believe he is the FIRST INDIAN to be attempting this feat. Way to go Bhavik!!
Link:

http://www.bhavik.com/crossatlantic/

By Dhar | Perma Link | 2 comments |

2 Comments:

At 4:41 AM, Anonymous said...

Thats def a first for India. 1 billion Indians and 1 bronz at the olympics. About time someone did something about it.

At 5:39 PM, aus said...

hey dhar - logged on to your blog after quite a while...
this one is quite a phenomenal effort! way to go bhavik!

Dhar's Blog: 1 Man, 1 Boat, 5000 Kms

Antigua Sun

 

Antiguans to go on historic Atlantic crossing

Friday September 14 2007

by Nikisha Smith

Two Antiguans will attempt, for the first time, the gruelling 3000 mile rowing trip across the Atlantic Ocean in December.

They are Mark A. Hadeed of Crosbies and Gordon “Bumps” Foster of Willikies. They have been chosen by Bhavik Gandhi, a successful solo Atlantic rower, to be the members of Team Antigua.

Foster is currently building a motor boat and has competed in other boating competitions.

Hadeed is a certified water sports instructor and has participated in various sailing regattas around the Caribbean including Antigua Sailing Week.

A few years ago, Hadeed was diagnosed with an auto-immune deficiency disease called Lupus and a Bi-Polar disorder, but he is confident he is physically and mentally capable of completing the challenge.

Gandhi is the manager of the team and is currently organising for local, regional and international advertising for the event. He said that the companies will be announced in the coming weeks.

Team Antigua is attempting a world record as the first Antiguans to participate and finish the Atlantic Rowing Race. They, however, will not be the first West Indians as a team from Barbados already holds that title.

They hope to complete the trip in about 50 days, but are aiming to break the record of the Bajans, which is 43 days.

From 15 Dec., about 40 teams from around the world will compete in a race across the Atlantic on equal terms in three race classes - Solo’s, Pairs and Fours. The race was first held in 1997, and roughly every two years since.

Gandhi completed his 106 day solo journey across the Atlantic from the Canary Islands on 14 June. It was his fourth attempt, and he succeeded, unsupported in his 23 foot rowing boat called Miss Olive.

After landing in Antigua, and enjoying the island’s hospitality, Gandhi said that he has grown to love the place and is willing to donate his time to helping some locals achieve the same goal.

“Personally it is my way of giving back to Antigua for the wonderful hospitality. I’m willing to donate my time to the project because I think that it would be great for Antigua to be a part of the race. It’s a once in a life time achievement.”

Team Antigua will be using, Miss Olive, the same boat that Ghandi used on his journeys.

The rowers will take along with them water, dried and canned foods, coffee, a GPS system to keep on track during the journey, a radio, and phone. Miss Olive is fibre glass boat and is equipped with a water storage tank of 200 litres, two water purifiers and a stove.

Antigua Sun

LIFE IN FOOTNOTES

 

Sunday, August 19, 2007

To the craziest man I know.

I scrolled down my blog and realised, to my utter surprise that the one person who's journey I've been following over the last few months isn't mentioned in it at all. i will redress it right away.
School yearbooks are sometimes filled with comments and asides and everyone always guesses as to who will go out and make it big. Well, Bhavik Gandhi certainly wasn't on my list for person to make a difference. He was too goofy and funny. A year ago, we got in touch again, through either the school website or something else, I don't remember. And he mentioned that he planned to row solo across the Atlantic, from Spain to Antigua. I thought he was pulling my leg. I went to his website and checked the preparations, the sponsors who'd come on board - the immensity of it struck me.
The first attempt at the row had to be canceled due to weather and technical conditions I think. But he was determined, and said that he would attempt in a few months. And he did. He blogged almost everyday from his boat, Miss Olive (even asked his friends to suggest names for his boat). Iridium and his website kept him in touch with the world and all the wishes he was getting from everywhere.
His blog posts should be a book - they are interesting, sometimes funny, and always inspiring. From a recognisable face he turned to tom hanks in castaway, then the geico caveman and then the yeti itself. he spoke about the whales and the changing climates and the calm sea, then the angry sea, the ships that almost ran him down.
Finally, after capsizing and refusing help, repairing his boat by himself, after 103 days, he reached ashore, to a warm and cheerful welcome.
Read all about it on his blog.

LIFE IN FOOTNOTES

Record Row

India Today - Aaj Tak

Rajasthan Patrika

Royal Holloway

http://www.rhul.ac.uk/messages/press/message.asp?ref_no=1505

http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Management/News-and-Events/anouncements.html

Royal Holloway,

Royal Holloway - Press Release

Record Atlantic Crossing

Bhavik Gandhi, a former student of Royal Holloway, University of London has rowed single-handed and unassisted across the Atlantic. He became the first Indian to ever complete a solo ocean crossing. Bhavik was at sea for 106 days and landed in Antigua at 5.45pm on 14 June, after rowing a record distance of 6396 kms (3456 nautical miles).
He began his epic journey in La Restinga, Canary Islands after months of arduous physical and mental preparation. During the crossing he struggled against gale force winds, 40 ft waves, severe sleep deprivation and mental fatigue; on 6 June he came close to defeat after his boat, ′Miss Olive′, capsized.
Bhavik navigated using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology and more traditional charts and compasses, regularly updating his progress on-line. Nearing the end of the crossing he ran out of solid food and was reduced to a liquid diet, “I tell you after 95 days on freeze dried meals, I could eat sweets while they are still in their wrappers and still find them tasty,” he said.
He studied a BSc in Management and Information Systems at the College, graduating in 1999. He is the founder and principal partner at the Development Venture Capital Group, a venture capital fund specializing in micro venture capital for social entrepreneurs in developing countries.
For further information about Bhavik’s achievement visit: http://www.bhavik.com/crossatlantic/index.htm

Royal Holloway - Press Release

The first Asian...

TAG Heuer

Rowing Archive - Ocean Rowing - Woodvale-Challenge Rowing the Atlantic and Indian Oceans

Bhavik Gandhi (India)
Route: La Restinga de El Hierro, Canary Islands - Antigua
Departure Date: 13:15 GMT - 28th February 2007
Distance: 3000 Miles
Estimated Crossing Time: 50 - 90 Days
Boat: Woodvale Pairs Class - Previously rowed by Oliver Hicks in the North Atlantic
Website
Latest Positions
Arrived at Jabberwock Beach, Antigua on the 14th June 2007at 22:45 GMT after 106 days, 9 hours and 30 minutes at sea.
Congratulations Bhavik!
Photos courtesy of Ted Martin at Photo fantasy Antigua

Rowing Archive - Ocean Rowing - Woodvale-Challenge Rowing the Atlantic and Indian Oceans

The Hindu : Metro Plus Delhi / Environment : Rowing success

 

Rowing success

Bhavik Gandhi has become the first Asian to row across the Atlantic Ocean solo. He speaks to RANA SIDDIQUI from Antigua

---

My boat had started leaking.

I had to find the exact location of the leak, I had barely done it when the steering broke…

---

Triumphant Bhavik Gandhi just before starting on the historic voyage across Atlantic Ocean

An engineer by qualification and a rower by passion, Bhavik Gandhi has just made India and Sweden (where he is based now) proud by breaking a record. The record of crossing the Atlantic Ocean unassisted.

Bhavik rowed 3000 nautical miles across the Atlantic from Spain to Antigua in 106 days. He had planned to achieve it in 90 days though. Still, Bhavik has broken the existing record of Emmanuel Coindre of France.

Now in Antigua, Bhavik plans to return to India in two to three weeks. He is trying to regain lost health during the tough rowing which left him about 25 kilograms lighter, for he finished his dry rations midway. Bhavik chose to row rather than sail for two reasons: Sailing is easier, and he wanted to keep it “solo, simple and pure”.

Recalls the 29-year-old, “It was very challenging, both physically and emotionally. I rowed for 6000-plus kilometres. Sailing across the Atlantic takes just 20 days from Spain to Antigua. It had little adventure involved. But I preferred to row to experience that different challenge. I kept it solo because I didn’t want to get into the bureaucratic muddle of equipment hassles, medical assistance, sports crew and so on. It gets very complicated when a ship is following you. Rowing alone would have amounted to my triumph or my loss solely.” Not that it was as simple as he thought it to be. Though he was ready for challenges, he started facing dangers from the third week.

Dangers on the way

“My boat started leaking. I had to find the exact location of the leak, bail the water out and repair it. I had barely done it when the steering broke. The sea was too rough to hold on to. Heavy winds rocked my boat and it went sideways. It rained for the most part at night while I was rowing. I also finished my ration of dry fruits. My requirements were more than 8000 calories as I had assumed. So I survived on powder protein during the last two weeks. It shrank my stomach,” narrates Bhavik with the ease of a saintly man. All this while, he wore Tag Heuer’s specially designed watch for water sports called special Aquaracer, that ensures water resistance to a depth of 300 meters. There were also good things to fall back on. “While it was raining, I saw a bright red light in the clouds. It was very beautiful. It gave me hope.

I had whales and dolphins for company. Most big fishes are attracted by lights. So they would jump onto my boat at night. Next morning I would find lots of them on the boat floor. It used to be quite a funny sight. These amusing moments and fixing and framing the things regularly kept me busy. And the journey taught me how to fight loneliness,” recalls Bhavik nostalgically.

Not that everything happened as he planned it but he was confident enough. He strategised his next move by sensing weather conditions. He had no connections with the land.

But Bhavik is very happy that he made the journey “just in the nick of time”. The reason is, from June, storms start lashing the Atlantic Ocean, making it virtually impossible to row. With previous experience in sailing as well as trekking, Bhavik was prepared to face tough situations. “It’s all in the mindset,” he adds stoically.

The only child of lawyer parents, Bhavik says he is “single and very happy being one.”

The Hindu : Metro Plus Delhi / Environment : Rowing success

Rowing success

Gandhi - the sailor

HINDU INFO: June 2007

 

Friday, 22 June 2007

Gandhi braving the mighty Atlantic

Bhavik Gandhi became the first person to row across theAtlantic Ocean unassisted after a 106-day journey.

Bhavik Gandhi began his attempt at becoming the first Indian and first Asian to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean on 28th February, 2007 at 1155 hrs GMT.

He set out from La Restinga in the Canary Islands to Antigua onhis boat 'Miss Olive', covering close to 3000 nautical miles in theprocess. The rower reached Jabberwock Beach,

Antigua after a 106-day voyage.

During his journey, his boat capsized 200 kms from the destinationbut he managed to steer the boat by rowing with a spare oar.

In the process, he also became the first Asian to complete an oceanrowing expedition solo and unassisted.

Born in Mumbai but now a Sweden resident, Gandhi's record will becertified by the Ocean Rowing Society.

Article taken from

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/bhavik-gandhi-rows-acorss-atlantic/42975-3.html

Bhavik Gandhi's Profile

http://www.ibnlive.com/features/bhavik/bhavik_profile.php

Posted by kiranparmar2 at 13:39 0 comments

HINDU INFO: June 2007

Traversing the Atlantic is a sport for this man

 

Publication:TOI_Delhi;
Date:Jun 27, 2007;
Section:Times Sport;
Page Number:30

Traversing the Atlantic is a sport for this man

Mandakini Raina | TNN
    There’s only so much a trans-Atlantic call can tell you about ocean rower Bhavik Gandhi. While one might only briefly react to a record he has just achieved — he became the first Asian to row across the Atlantic Ocean unassisted, making it from Spain to Antigua in 106 days and 9 hours — it’s only when your mailbox receives pictures of him, undertaking the very same journey that explorer Christopher Columbus once had, does the jaw drop.
    Traversing the ocean, over 5000 kilometres of it, that can be macabre, serene and picturesque at the same time or within minutes of each other, is possibly the toughest challenge for a human muscle to endure. Bhavik survived it, and is only among 32 people in the world to have achieved such a feat solo.
    “Ocean rowing is the toughest sport to indulge in, it becomes that much more difficult because the water is not our natural habitat. Your life depends on you, and there is no other sport which takes so many days of consistent effort,” Bhavik said of his oneof-a-kind experience. “You are out there alone and making decisions by the minute about tackling waves and staying on course. You are battling skin diseases and physical discomfort. Your legs go to waste,” he elucidated. He is recovering currently from exhaustion and a 25kg weight loss in Antigua.
    Not much, however, can be done in preparation.”You can physically train in the gym but you don’t know what lies ahead. So it’s all survival instinct,” he said. He modified his boat, Miss Olive, to ease some of the anxiety at high sea. He chose to take the risk of travelling without a light craft, though. The boat was made self-righting, more air-tight compartments were added and radar reflectors were fitted. But when things have to go wrong, they do. Miss Olive had rudder problems, a broken steering, missed colliding into a tanker and capsized once before making it to its destination — which it almost missed due to the gushing winds.
    “I lost water and food during the capsize, but you have to be self-sufficient. There is no business to be in such a position if you cannot deal with it yourself,” said the Mumbaiborn 30-year-old, a resident of Stockholm, Sweden.
    Explaining the psychological aspect of it, he said: “It is a matter of positivity. You have to learn to turn your problems around, see them as just tasks you have to do. You have to tell yourself that you could be learning something new that day.”
    “It was demoralising to know at the end of most of my meals that the winds were steering the boat the wrong direction. It used to be that much more work for the day. When the wind is behind you, you could be doing up to 40-50 kms in a day and when it’s towards you, you could be doing only about 10 kms for the same amount of effort put in. Plus, it’s a different challenge to row and keep on course in the dark,” he said of his daily laborious 12-14 hours toil.
    The back-breaking work apart, it was the marine life that lifted Bhavik’s spirit. Curious onlookers would swim by, much to the rower’s delight. “The eye level contact with the fish was exalting,” he recounted his meeting with dolphins, humpback whales, sea turtles and flying fish. “The boat didn’t have a motor and moves slow so they would come by the boat unthreatened.”
    Bhavik intended to complete the route in 70 days minimum and 90 days maximum on his fourth attempt, but, with the start of the hurricane season it took a month extra.
    Funnily, had Bhavik he made it in the stipulated time, he could have caught cricket action at the World Cup! “But the home team had packed up and left by then!” he chuckled.

WHAT A ROW! Bhavik Gandhi during his trans-Atlantic haul

Traversing the Atlantic is a sport for this man

Traversing the Atlantic is a sport for this man

Everest - Mount Everest by climbers, news

 

Bhavik Gandhi: “It takes 1 month at sea to miss life on land - and just 1 day on land to miss life at sea” On June 15, after rowing the Atlantic Ocean for 106 days, and 3,456 nautical miles, Bhavik Ghandi arrived at a “beautiful white sandy beach of Antigua, at Jabberwaki Point,” as he described the place. The Ocean Rowing Society confirms the Indian rower has become the first Asian to complete an ocean rowing expedition – solo and unsupported, beach to beach. “I'm having very mixed emotions being back on land,” Bhavik reported. “My body is very wobbly but I'm making a fast recovery from life at sea but I miss the peace and freedom.”

Everest - Mount Everest by climbers, news

Get the lightweight look

Chitralekha

The Ocean - Ocean news and guide

 

Solo unsupported rower Bhavik Gandhi: “It takes 1 month at sea to miss life on land - and just 1 day on land to miss life at sea”

"As far as I saw he was rowing on his own," said ABSAR's Joanathan Cornelius, in the image with Bhavik. "He (Gandhi) did arrive on the beach at approximately 21:45 GMT last Thursday. I was busy holding his boat and did not note the time right away, but it would have been right about that time. I did ask them (the coast guard) when they brought him in. They told me that he rowed all the way in.” (Click to enlarge).
"It takes 1 month at sea to miss life on land. And just 1 day on land to miss life at sea,” Bhavik wrote yesterday. “I'm having very mixed emotions being back on land. My body is very wobbly but I'm making a fast recovery from life at sea but I miss the peace and freedom." (Click to enlarge).
“There was a number of overwhelming moments during my last few hours at sea,” Bhavik recaps. “Rowing in the darkness and watching a dull red glowing cloud, reflecting the lights of Antigua ... Stressing about hitting the reefs in the dark ... The first radio contact with land in the dark, on VHF. Rain. Then sunrise in the morning revealing Antigua covered in low clouds. Rain again..." (Click to enlarge).
On June 15, after rowing the Atlantic Ocean for 106 days, and 3,456 nautical miles, Bhavik Ghandi arrived at a “beautiful white sandy beach of Antigua, at Jabberwaki Point,” as he described the place. The Ocean Rowing Society confirms the Indian rower has become the first Asian to complete an ocean rowing expedition – solo and unsupported (click to enlarge).
The first Asian to complete an Ocean Rowing Expedition solo and unassisted, land to land, Bhavik has made an incredible row, in spite of serious adversities even managing to beach. All live images over Contact 4.0 courtesy of Bhavik Gandhi (click to enlarge).

Related Links

Previous story
Bhavik's dispatches

08:00 am EDT Jun 20, 2007
(TheOceans.net) On June 15, after rowing the Atlantic Ocean for 106 days, and 3,456 nautical miles, Bhavik Ghandi arrived at a “beautiful white sandy beach of Antigua, at Jabberwaki Point,” as he described the place. The Ocean Rowing Society confirms the Indian rower has become the first Asian to complete an ocean rowing expedition – solo and unsupported.
Kenneth F. Crutchlow, Executive Director of the Ocean Rowing Society explained that he had spoken to a member of Antigua Barbuda Search And Rescue (ABSAR), Jonathan Cornelius:
ABSAR: “He rowed all the way in”
“I did not go out to meet him since the coast guard had a boat in the area. They met him and escorted him through the reefs on the north side of Antigua. As far as I saw he was rowing on his own. He did arrive on the beach at approximately 21:45 GMT last Thursday. I was busy holding his boat and did not note the time right away, but it would have been right about that time. I did ask them when they brought him in. They told me that he rowed all the way in.”
Bhavik had no break until the very end of the expedition. “I had terrible wind conditions from the SE and after 10 hours of futile rowing trying to get to English Harbor and speaking to ABSAR, I changed my landfall point,” he reported after touching frm ground land – and sleeping for 18 hours.
“There was a number of overwhelming moments during my last few hours at sea,” Bhavik recaps. “Rowing in the darkness and watching a dull red glowing cloud, reflecting the lights of Antigua, appear on the horizon. The appearence of the strobe light high on the hills of Antigua. Stressing about hitting the reefs in the dark. Slowing the boat down with the sea anchor. Waiting for day light watching the boat drift closer and closer to shore as it dragged anchor."
"The first radio contact with land in the dark, on VHF. Rain. Then sunrise in the morning revealing Antigua covered in low clouds. Rain again. Watching clouds drift over the island. Then drift off the hills again. Watching the tops of buildings appear. Then trees. Seeing the first humans - coast guard officers - that came to escort me in."
"Finally the white sand the overwhelming smell of smoke, trees, flowers and land. Trying to make it into camp Blizzard. Pushed onto the reef by the winds. Trying to steer away. Hitting the reef. Coast guard officer getting into trouble in the water. Rowing the boat off the reef. Rowing it onto the white sand beach. Touching ground…”
Already missing the ocean’s peace and freedom
Bhavik is currently resting in the Caribbean Island – and already missing the Ocean. “It takes 1 month at sea to miss life on land. And just 1 day on land to miss life at sea,” he wrote yesterday. “I'm having very mixed emotions being back on land. My body is very wobbly but I'm making a fast recovery from life at sea but I miss the peace and freedom. I'm getting used to walking and the sores are subsiding.”
Bhavik Gandhi (India) has rowed from El Hierro (Canary Islands) to Antigua in the boat 'Miss Olive' - becoming the first Asian to row solo across the Atlantic. In spite of all the difficulties, Bhavik has kept the unsupported status though the 106 days-long trip. Bhavik rowed on his own power until touching land at a beach in Jabberwaki Point, Antigua, on June 15, 2007.

The Ocean - Ocean news and guide