The Trail

Issue date: 2/16/07 Section: News

UPS alumni, OAR Northwest, speaks about the Ocean Four 2006 Race and becoming the first Americans to row across the Atlantic

Members of the UPS community gathered in Marshall Hall to kick off Conspiracy of Hope week and hear of the incredible journey of OAR (Ocean Adventure Racing) Northwest on Monday, Feb. 5.

OAR Northwest is comprised of four UPS alums: Greg Spooner '01, Jordan Hanssen '04, Dylan LeValley '05 and Brad Vickers '05. In August 2006 they won the Oceans Four 2006 Race, becoming the first Americans to row across the Atlantic Ocean in a row boat and the first in the world to row from the mainland United States to the mainland United Kingdom (3,290 statute miles).

In his introduction, President Ronald Thomas said that OAR Northwest represents the very best of UPS.

"They wanted to make a difference for others," said President Thomas. "They set a goal that seemed unachievable, but they reached it."

OAR Northwest's row boat is named the James Robert Hanssen, after Jordan's father, who died of asthma when Jordan was three years old. The mission of OAR Northwest was not only to complete the challenge, but to donate half of their fundraising proceeds to the American Lung Association of Washington.
The team spent 18 months preparing for the race. They had to construct their boat, train for the race and raise funds. (The team continues to raise funds; the race has cost over a quarter of a million dollars.)

After a year and a half of preparations, the team arrived at the starting line in New York and began their journey on June 10, 2006. For the next 71 days, they took turns in pairs, rowing for two hours and sleeping for two hours.

They had packed 250 pounds of cheese and other food, but early on learned that working out 12 hours a day was requiring more calories than their food allotted, so they had no choice but to ration their food. They lost 130 pounds between the four of them.

"It was the hardest thing we ever did," Spooner said.
They also endured the hardship of Tropical Storm Alberta. They were forced to cram into their compact cabin for 18 hours to wait out the storm, making them completely reliant upon their equipment.

"There is no typical day on the north Atlantic," Vickers said.
The team faced further difficulties as their days spent at sea turned to months and the months spent at sea felt like years. Sleep deprivation delayed their reaction times and made them mentally off balance. For example, in one incident, they were delayed in lighting a flare to signal their presence to a ship, which made for a close call.

Nonetheless, the team witnessed swimming dolphins and whales and picturesque sunsets and sunrises, making the journey of a lifetime well worth it.

Hanssen is in the processing of writing a book about the journey. The James Robert Hanssen awaits another team with the willpower to take up the challenge. For more details and information, please visit www.oarnorthwest.com.

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