The Islanders

I've been having a bit of a bumbly time lately,  it's been halfterm.  Here's the garden- this bit's looking fab (don't look round the corner).

Here's some spar rubbing down -I'm onto the next coat now.

But most importantly I have been (and am) glued to the Yellowbrick Tracker.  Have a look (click here), it's live!  The GB row started three days ago.  Two boys from down the road have entered with a couple of their chums from college.  Check out The Islanders,  they're fighting to beat the world record and have been in the lead from the start but have Hallin Marine hot on their heels who are keeping up a cracking pace.

Hailed as the world's toughest rowing race, battling brutal weather, treacherous tides and deadly shipping lanes the crews must row over 2000 miles around Britain totally unaided - no tying up alongside a nice pontoon somewhere, and no coming ashore.  They have to carry everything they need with them.

I know they are superhuman (Alan and Josh swam around Mersea last summer, 22km just for fun) but I am still a little bit worried about how they are going to cope with endless rowing and next-to-no sleep.  I had a lovely chat with Alan's mum, shopping for buckets before they left.  She said they were planning three hours rowing followed by three hours sleeping and eating then back to rowing and on and on for as long as it takes... probably a month (sounds fairly deathly to me, and not totally unlike having a new baby). *

They are doing so well.... from Tower Bridge in London to just off the Isle of Wight in two and a half days.  Read about them here, Wish them luck and spur them on here,  help the Evelina Children's Hospital here....  Follow them on the tracker here...

Go boys!

picture via gbrowchallenge.com

Back to work and my little world of colouring in, the logo to go on the info boards I am illustrating is to be a different size than expected.  There have been rumblings and a flurry of comms between the lovely folk at Natural England and the Town Council,  no great brouhaha, just a bit of re-designing to fit it in.

I've also been working on my boat-dog drawings  (spurred on by your lovely positive feedback way back here). Three of them, hopefully off to the printers at the end of the week, and cards and prints for sale shortly after.  I'll show you next time.


* little footnote added 5th June 2013
Hot news on the race;  the Islanders have apologised for lack of blogs and photos (!) having spent all their time either rowing, sleeping or eating.  Now nearing Lands End, still in the lead and ahead of the 2005 world record pace, the crew of four row for two hours and sleep for a further two hours.  One of the rowers is replaced at the rowing seat every hour.