Monday, December 5, 2005
Alone on a boat, 27-yr-old wants to cross the Atlantic
Alone on a boat, 27-yr-old wants to cross the Atlantic
Only 32 others have done it. But former Bombay Scottish student Bhavik Gandhi remains unfazed
Ahmedabad, December 4: Sometimes, you take on life’s toughest challenges during the most unpredictable of moments. Like Bhavik Gandhi’s (27) telephone call to Rune Larsson, one of the world’s best extreme-distance runners, on a fine winter morning in 2004.
The conversation fortified Sweden-based Gandhi’s split-second resolve made during a cycling expedition in Istanbul: To row across the Atlantic Ocean, solo.
Saturday, December 3, 2005
Thursday, December 1, 2005
Being Bhavik - Kiruba.com - Weblog of Kiruba Shanka
Bhavik Gandhi is Phenomenal. (notice the capital P). For a successful venture capitalist and a founder of many technology companies, he has tremendous zest for life and adventure.
Bhavik is the guy who I want to be. Infact, we have a few common interests. He cycles, runs marathons and rows. So do I. But the intensity varies. Massively varies. While I row in the docile murky waters of Adyar river, he is planning on a 90 days, 3000 nautical miles journey across the Atlantic ocean from Spain to Barbados. While I cycle from home to office, he cycles 3000 miles from Stockholm to Istanbul. While I trek in the nearby Tada Falls, he treks through lake Baikal in Siberia in the winter! :)
Nevertheless, common interests. So, when he got in touch with me with a few queries, we immediately stuck a nice chord. It's also a nice co-incidence that both Sulekha and Sify, the companies I'm associated with, are official media partners for Bhavik's adventurous cross atlantic journey.
Here's wishing Bhavik the very best to kick Atlantic's arse!
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Monday, October 31, 2005
Alone on a boat, he plans to cross the Atlantic
Alone on a boat, he plans to cross the Atlantic
Only 32 others have done it. But former Bombay Scottish student Bhavik Gandhi’s unfazed
Alone on a boat, he plans to cross the Atlantic
Only 32 others have done it. But former Bombay Scottish student Bhavik Gandhi’s unfazed
Mumbai, October 30 SOMETIMES, you take on life’s toughest challenges during the most unpredictable of moments.
Like Bhavik Gandhi’s (27) telephone call to Rune Larsson, one of the world’s best extreme-distance runners, on a fine winter morning in 2004.
The conversation fortified Sweden-based Gandhi’s split-second resolve made during a cycling expedition in Istanbul: To row across the Atlantic Ocean, solo.
Only 32 successful attempts have been made at rowing solo across the world’s second largest ocean. And Gandhi will spend an estimated 90 days rowing nonstop from Spain to Barbados—that’s 3,000 nautical miles or 5,000 km—across the Atlantic, on a 23-ft long boat.
It’s a formidable challenge, but the Mumbai-born venture capitalist is undaunted.
After all, Larsson, the first Swede to row across the Atlantic in 2001, thought it was ‘‘the greatest thing’’ Gandhi—if successful, he will be the first Indian to do so—could do.
‘‘The challenge of endurance sport gets in the blood,’’ said Gandhi, who studied at Bombay Scottish till Std VIII before moving to Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom for further studies.
‘‘This is not for the faint-hearted, but nothing is more satisfying than riding on the ocean waves, to see how controllable they are, or you are.’’
After meeting Larsson in Stockholm, the ball was set rolling: Physical and mental training, sessions on endurance-sport nutrition, and most importantly, survival training.
Planning to make the trip in January next year, it’s Gandhi’s only interest now.
‘‘The previous exercises have helped me in strengthening my physical and mental faculties for a bigger challenge. Now, I must row across the Atlantic, purely for the excitement,’’ he says.
But there’s more to the management graduate from the University of London than a passion for endurance sports.
The founder and principal partner at the venture capital fund Development Venture Capital Group, Gandhi has founded more than half-a-dozen IT ventures in the tele-communications, retail, new media, outsourcing and non-profit sectors.
‘‘The excitement of starting something new keeps me going—be it business ventures or adventure sports,’’ he says. ‘‘Also, I think running marathons is just a cliche, I prefer making my own route.’’
Mumbai-based mother Usha Ambani, a lawyer, is worried for the eldest of her two sons. Scouting for sponsors for the Euro 100,000 ocean rowing venture, Gandhi is also aware of the dangers.
‘‘I can’t control the weather and freak waves,’’ he admits. ‘‘This will be a personal test to know how much I can maximise control over nature and myself.’’
Until then, what will he like to be known as? ‘‘The world’s best time manager,’’ he quips. ‘‘Because I do a lot of things and feel much needs to be done even after rowing across the Altantic.’’
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Alone on a boat, he plans to cross the Atlantic
Alone on a boat, he plans to cross the Atlantic
Only 32 others have done it. But former Bombay Scottish student Bhavik Gandhi’s unfazed
Mumbai, October 30 SOMETIMES, you take on life’s toughest challenges during the most unpredictable of moments.
Like Bhavik Gandhi’s (27) telephone call to Rune Larsson, one of the world’s best extreme-distance runners, on a fine winter morning in 2004.
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