Russian twins attempt rowing record

Soon after their arrival in Perth, WA, Sergey and Alexander Sinelnik, 31, got on with the preparations and the refitting of their boat ‘Rus’, which was purchased for this expedition in London and was then transported to Perth by sea. The boat has an extensive history and a ‘successful’ one too, as it has twice crossed the Atlantic.

The press-conference held at the Perth Royal Yacht Club has been a major event in the state of Western Australia. Attended by the minister of sport and recreation Robert Kuchera the project got an extensive coverage by all the major national media sources of Australia. The minister welcomed the Russian ocean rowers and wished the twins the best of luck in their difficult voyage.

22 of April was the official start of the ocean rowing marathon from Carnarvon. The twins are about to face the most rough part of their trip, because of the adaptation period at sea.

The period before the actual start wasn’t any less tougher as there was a great deal of things to take care of. But after all the reparations were done and all the equipment fitted, they were ready to head off to Carnarvon, which was chosen as the best starting location in consideration of the weather conditions and the local currents, all calculated by the Russian Insttitute of Oceanology.

Having said a lot about the ‘preparation phase’, it is crucial to underline the importance of a focused and step-by-step organization of the project which was taken on by the 33IN Group and the Moscow Chamber of Commerse and Industry (MCCI) coordinator Alexey Nesterenko.

‘Sergey and Alexander are very courageous and strong people, and very inspired too, but the idea of this project sounded like insanity to me and to the people involved as it probably does to you now! However, after a second thought, I realized that they will make the attempt with or without me, and all I can help with is organize and create a foundation for this project to make it feasible. To make a plan and then follow this plan is the most simple and yet effective way to succeed. We have gone far enough and now is the time when all will depend on the brothers themselves’, - said the coordianator of the project, Alexey Nesterenko, chairman of the MCCI commission on economic partnership with Australia and New Zealand.

Having gone so far, we have a lot of people to thank: the Western Australian Government (Robert Fisher, European office of the WA government; Paul Mercer, Robert Kushera, minister of sports and recreation of WA; Steve Manchee, media asvisor of the minister; Dmitry Driker, general representative of the 33IN Group in Australia; Allan Callahan, harbor master of the Perth Royal Yacht club; David Mitchell, ocean rower and honorable member of the Perth Royal Yacht Club.

The Russian twin brothers plan to row from Carnarvon, 900km north of Perth, to southern Africa - a trip of 7,400 km - in approximately 100 days. The brothers have chosen to make a crossing attempt in their plexiglass-covered 7.3 metre boat between April and June because there is less chance of potentially catastrophic cyclones than at any other time of year. However, high seas, strong currents and windy conditions could still wreck their chances.

The twins, whose voyage has been coordinated by the London-based Ocean Rowing Society, took fresh and dried food and a water desalinator to sustain them during their three months at sea.

Check out just how far the brothers got in their rowing in our news section!

Natalia Strelkova

PR director & coordinator of the project