A band of childhood friends have reunited in Dubai to begin a six-month training programme before tackling an arduous challenge ― to row 4,500 kilometres across the Pacific Ocean.
Led by adventurer Paris Norriss, who fronts the Guy in Dubai online travel show, Barney Lewis, Oliver and Harry Amos hope to raise more than Dh650,000 ($177,000) for marine conservation and military veteran charities by competing in one of the toughest races on the planet.
The team plan to set off on their journey sometime in June, depending on tides and weather.
Their tailor-made boat has arrived in Dubai and is being put through its paces in the Arabian Gulf, ahead of what promises to be the biggest challenge each of the four crew has undertaken.
“We wanted to do something purposeful with our lives as a collective,” said Norriss, who went to school with Oliver at Millfield School in Somerset, England.
“I met up with Olly in Dubai after some years, as I was filming adventure documentaries here.
“The combination of my adventures and our bond over the years seemed to work, so we got together and called in Barney, who was another school friend, to join the crew.”
Intrepid team set to make waves
Oliver Amos is a Stockholm-based energy storage specialist, an avid wakeboarder, mono-skier, paramotorist and master juggler.
His brother, Harry, is a Dubai-based consultant importing sustainable technology into the UAE, and a former captain in the British Army, in which he served for for 11 years, with two tours of Afghanistan.
Mr Lewis, meanwhile, is a strategy consultant in London specialising in ventures, a paramotorist and ski instructor.
The team have started training under the guidance of Gus Barton, an expert at preparing people for ocean rowing challenges.
Sponsorship soon followed to cover the Dh590,000 costs of the trip, and an additional collection to donate to charities.
They included the Blue Marine Foundation, a charity dedicated to restoring the ocean to health by addressing overfishing, and the Invictus Games, a foundation that supports military veterans.
Charting their journey
The team is also making a documentary of their challenge, to be shown on Amazon Prime and the inflight-channels of several airlines, including Emirates and Etihad.
Only 81 people have rowed across the Pacific Ocean, and the team is preparing to compete against 20 boats that will aim to set a world record for the crossing by finishing in less than 30 days and five hours.
“Until [recently], none of us had ever rowed across a river,” Norriss said.
“We have been on rowing machines for the last six months, but now we have our boat we can practise on the water.
“We all have a background in sport, but rowing is very different and new.”
In the first week of having the boat, the team completed 55 hours of rowing and included one 36-hour session.
They plan to take about 40 days to row from Monterrey in California to the Hawaiian islands.
Their rowing boat is 7.5 metres long and has a fresh-water-making machine on board powered by solar panels.
It is designed to self-correct if capsized, and has two cabins for rest. The crew will row in two-hour shifts, continuously for the duration of the challenge.
That rota will change only if a crew members falls ill, so they will be operating on a maximin of 90 minutes sleep at a time, with sleep deprivation and the associated mental challenges likely to be the biggest hurdle.
To prepare, the rowers have been waking at 3am to complete intense sessions on a rowing machine.
“I’m most worried about sharks,” Norriss said. “We have to clean the bottom of the boat every four days or so, which will mean one of us getting into the water.
“We expect to see a load of dolphins, migrating whales and, of course, sharks, who are usually curious at what food could fall off the boat.
“The wildlife will be amazing, and the sunsets like nowhere else on the planet ― but it will be very tough.”
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Results
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group 1 (PA) US$75,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Ziyadd, Richard Mullen (jockey), Jean de Roualle (trainer).
7.05pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (Turf) 1,800m
Winner: Barney Roy, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
7.40pm: Meydan Cup Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,810m
Winner: Secret Advisor, Tadhg O’Shea, Charlie Appleby.
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Plata O Plomo, Carlos Lopez, Susanne Berneklint.
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
9.25pm: Al Shindagha Sprint Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Gladiator King, Mickael Barzalona, Satish Seemar.
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
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More on Quran memorisation:
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
