Planning for The World's Toughest Row

Having departed Worth in 1992, Jamie Douglas B'92 and Nick (now Colonel) Thom B'92 and myself are now in our early 50s and deep into the throes of midlife crisis. Whilst we are a long way from being model OWs, we have managed to remain in close touch with each other and a dozen other legendary survivors from the Class of 1992. We meet regularly at Gabriel’s Wharf on the Thames (for reasons long forgotten) for drinking, laughter and the same old stories.

To mark the 30th anniversary of our escape from Worth we decided to swap the pub for four days canoeing down the River Spey. There’s clearly something about us and water, though Monks’ Pond seems an unlikely inspiration. It was on the Spey (and under its influence) that Douglas floated the idea of rowing the Atlantic. Thus, the Atlantic Aardvarks were born.

We’re now signed up to compete in the 'World’s Toughest Row' in December 2026: 3,000 miles of unsupported rowing from the Canaries to the Caribbean, racing against youthful, muscular opponents over, hopefully, about 40 gruelling days. We will each have to row for 12 hours every day, 2 hours on and 2 horus off. Right now, the race seems like it’s the easy part!

Naturally, we need to get fit. Thom’s military physique gives him an unfair advantage, but turning a middle-aged financier (Douglas) and a lawyer (me) into rowing hunks is no small feat. For that we have Gus, who sets us unholy daily challenges via his dreaded app. We’ve had to buy our beloved boat, Dotty, and learn how she works - navigation and communication tech, water desalination, solar energy systems, the lot. We’ve had to learn to row (obviously), navigate, complete 150 hours at sea just to qualify, earn endless certificates, and master safety at sea, provisioning, and survival. For that, we have Dunc, a beefy, cheerful ex-Marine.

And perhaps most importantly, we’ve had to learn how to raise money as the cost of the event is around £100,000. To help cover that, we’re seeking generous sponsors (shout-out to my firm Payne Hicks Beach and to London Wealth Management for getting in early). Their names will adorn Dotty, our gear, and our sparkling (and newly acquired) social media presence.

In addition, we’re aiming to raise £150,000 for causes close to our hearts:

* Breakthrough T1D, which transforms the lives of people like the youngest Douglas, who lives with Type 1           diabetes,

* The London Irish Centre, which provides vital support to those facing difficult circumstances,

* Velosano, a transformative cancer charity,

* The Army Benevolent Fund, which does exactly what its name suggests.

And why the Aardvarks? The Aardvarks first emerged as a 7s rugby team in the late ’90s, led by Douglas. It featured a host of fabulous ex-Worth rugby talent, including Piers MacWhannell B’91 and even a younger Crossley B’96. We played tournaments across the world with surprising success. The name stuck - and conveniently ensures we always win when the list is prepared alphabetically.

Charlie is our fourth man, a non-Worthian. It hardly needs saying that he’s the brightest, fittest and most handsome of the group. As a doctor, he helps ease our wives’ concerns about mid-Atlantic heart attacks. Spare a thought for him: he’s agreed to spend 40 days at sea with three Worth boys, and wish us well for December ’26.

If you’d like to support our adventure - whether through sponsorship or by donating to our chosen charities - please visit our website or follow us on Instagram 

Dominic Crossley StB'92