In less than a week, a boat will be living space for two athletes who have undergone gruelling physical training to be the first team from the Arab region to row across the Atlantic.
When Dubai residents Omar Nour and Omar Samra of Team O2 set out from the Canary Islands on December 12 to journey the 5,000 kilometre Atlantic Challenge to Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua, they will join a small community of athletes to achieve ‘the world’s toughest row.’
Their final intense preparation was a 60-hour row last month off Gran Canaria, near the start of the race. It gave them a taste of the sleep deprivation they will endure as each of them row in two-hour intervals while the other sleeps.
“The main thing was we were able to follow the rowing pattern of two hours on and off throughout the day and night. In previous trips we were not able to because the navigation equipment was not working so when one of us was rowing, the other person could not rest but had to steer,” said Mr Samra, a mountaineer who has climbed Mount Everest.
Since their first overnight row seven months ago, they have been pushed to the limit as they faced storms, powerful currents and broken down navigation systems during a100-hour row in the North Sea off the coast of Essex in the UK.
This experience is necessary for the crossing.
In previous races, rowers have hunkered down in hurricanes, battled 50-foot waves and described close encounters with whales and sharks.
The world record for pairs is 40 days, four hours and three minutes. But of roughly two dozen teams that set off annually, several do not make it to the end and are worn out by the waves, weather, illness or boat trouble.
“There is real risk and real life threatening danger so you have to prepare as best you can. The main thing is to respect the ocean. You have to come to terms quickly that you are pretty powerless because it is the biggest force, bigger than the sharks, bigger than anything. We have learnt that the first 36 hours will be miserable as the body adjusts to sea sickness,” said Mr Nour, a professional triathlete.
“We have been meticulous in preparing but it would be arrogant to think we are 100 per cent ready,” he said.
Both men are no strangers to adventure.
Mr Samra was first Egyptian to climb Everest, and the 7 Summits when he scaled the highest mountain in each continent and has also skied to the North and South Pole.
Egypt’s first professional triathlete, Mr Nour once weighed in at 105 kg and is now an advocate for an active, healthy life.
Still, the ocean is a fresh challenge.
“I’m accustomed to climbing mountains. The duration, lack of oxygen made Everest technically challenging. But this is overwhelming because the ocean is a complete unknown.,” he said.
“Sleep deprivation breaks people. You can manage for a few days and then it takes its toll. Another thing I’m concerned about is big storms at night,” said Mr Samra who runs an adventure travel company and a children’s charity.
Read more: Pizza, vegetables, solar panels in boat supplies
UAE-based athletes aim to become first Arabs to row 5,000km across Atlantic Ocean
For safety, the Omars must wear a harness on deck. The rules specify that contestants must fix problems themselves. There are support boats to hand but if a bottle of water or a single piece of equipment is handed across, the team is disqualified from the race but can still complete the challenge.
Through the rigour of preparation, they have seen some breath-taking sights.
“This adventure takes all experiences of life and packs it into a small time line. Near the Canary Islands, at 2 or 3 in the morning, we could see the Milky Way and incredible lights as shooting stars went across the sky. It was unbelievable when we rowed through fire luminescent plankton. Every time we put the oars in the water, it lit up the water in green,” said Mr Nour, who runs a sports goods distribution company.
As race day approaches, they will maintain strength with weight training and also read up on safety.
The teammates know it will not be all excitement and adrenalin.
“It sounds majestic. In your head you think of big waves and storms. But this will not be from beginning to end. It will be a lot of hard work; most days will be tedious. Having a shark or whale coming to say hello, as long as we are not in the water with them, will be a welcome break,” said Mr Nour.
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
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The five pillars of Islam
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
MATCH INFO
Europa League semi-final, second leg
Atletico Madrid (1) v Arsenal (1)
Where: Wanda Metropolitano
When: Thursday, May 3
Live: On BeIN Sports HD
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
More coverage from the Future Forum
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
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MATCH INFO
What: India v Afghanistan, first Test
When: Starts Thursday
Where: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengalaru
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RACE RESULTS
1. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1hr 21min 48.527sec
2. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) at 0.658sec
3. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull) 6.012
4. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 7.430
5. Kimi Räikkönen (FIN/Ferrari) 20.370
6. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas) 1:13.160
7. Sergio Pérez (MEX/Force India) 1 lap
8. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Force India) 1 lap
9. Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams) 1 lap
10. Lance Stroll (CAN/Williams) 1 lap
11. Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault) 1 lap
12. Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL/McLaren) 1 lap
13. Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Renault) 1 lap
14. Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Sauber) 1 lap
15. Marcus Ericsson (SWE/Sauber) 2 laps
16. Daniil Kvyat (RUS/Toro Rosso) 3 laps
Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now