HoverAid exists to reach the most unreachable communities with healthcare, education and other resources that they need the most, using hovercraft and other means. We are now at a critical point of building a new hovercraft based on a refined version of our own proven “RiverRover” design. Participation in this rowing challenge, and funds raised, will help enable completion and deployment of the new craft in Madagascar where it is needed
We are aiming to use the hovercraft on the 320km long Mangoky river. For the 20th April challenge two teams, from our technical partners RICARDO and CERES Power, are competing to row 160km each in relays in the fastest time …thus between them rowing the length of the river in a day.
There are two ways you can join in the Challenge:
1. The Team Challenge: Working together to reach the unreachable :
Thursday April 20th
Get a team together from your company, church, gym, or sports club to compete with our core partners and others and row 160km during that day. The more participants, the merrier. If you have 20 teammates they will do an average of 8km each. If you can assemble two teams on two rowing machines you can complete the full 320km between you.
We will connect you online so you can keep track, race against others, and work together to get to Tsivoky Village in a single day.
There will be a trophy for the fastest team to reach 160km!
2. The Individual challenge: The Gorge Dash: Thursday April 20th – Monday April 24th
Row 8km either in one go or over those few days and submit a time – we’ll see who is fastest. Submit an individual time by 6pm on Monday 24th to be included in the Gorge Dash Leaderboard.
Raising Funds via Sponsorship:
Create your fundraising page here at Wonderful.org
If you get 10 people to give say £2 per km, that will raise £200 (including gift aid) for the 8km, and £4,000 for the full 160km team distance.
Ask your company, church, gym, club to match fund whatever you raise in sponsorship. It all helps
Our overall target is to raise at least £20,000 to go towards the new hovercraft which will mean we can take medical teams to villages like Tsivoky all along the Mangoky and other rivers. That means hundreds of thousands of people will have the opportunity to get access to healthcare, vital aid, and community development.
Contacts:
Event email: info@hoveraid.co.uk
Andy Mayo a.mayo@hoveraid.co.uk Mob: 07811941267
John Greaves j.greaves@hoveraid.co.uk Mob: 07771 930938
The Mangoky is the most inaccessible river in Madagascar. The river is full of sand, at places 500m wide and you can walk across it! Shallow canoes are the only way to get around, and going up-stream can take weeks. Our challenge is to do the distance from the mouth of the river to the village of Tsivoky, 320km away, in a day !
There is a short and spectacular 8km long gorge along the Mangoky. That’s why we have chosen that distance for individuals to row. Our experts tells us that this is a realistic target even for keen not-particularly-proficient rowers over a day or more in a few sessions.
Equipment & set up
For the team challenge of 160km we suggest using good quality rowing machines. Concept2, NordicTrack, and JTX all make suitable units. Commercial gyms will generally have well calibrated high quality equipment suitable for this challenge, with clear indication of time and distance travelled.
Adjust the damper setting to whatever feels the most comfortable to achieve your own personal maximum power for the whole of your row. That means the highest setting is probably only for the strongest rowers who can keep up a high power consistently for the whole distance. Don’t push yourself unless you have someone with you.
Practice, and don’t go too hard to start with, build your pace gradually rather than blasting out at the beginning.
Recording Results
The simplest way to record a time if you are an individual is to take a photo of the time and distance on the display screen, (we will trust you if you just prefer to write it down – this is about having some exercise and fun, and raising money after all!).
Even better, have a friend or colleague keep a record whilst you are doing your row so that you aren’t on your own.
Enjoy the Challenge, and Thank You for joining us in our mission
