HMS Oardacious (2026)

27/07/2026

🏔️Oardacious Overland 🏔️
Day 12/13. 450km (281 miles) done, 140km to go.

The nearby wildfire grew overnight, but didn't spread south fast enough to concern us, so we hiked as planned.

Thursday began with a gruelling climb out of the valley to cross a rocky set of mountains covered in sharp scree, cresting the ridge at Col Girardin (2699m). These kinds of mountains are worse on the way down: the crumbling rock and layers of dust is liable to slip from underfoot, taking a deal of effort to keep the descent controlled.

We plodded on down the Ubaye valley under strong sun, to cross the gorge the bridge Châtelet, which spans the river at a dizzying 108m. The stay in the Gité (bunkhouse) at Fouillous was a welcome break after camping for the last four nights.

On Day 13 we covered less distance than originally planned, ending at Lake Lauzanier (2284m) rather than in the valley. The high Alpine lake was too good a wildcamping spot to move on from.

Our route today ran within a kilometre of the Italian Border and was littered with bunkers and forts built by the French in 1935, which were tested when Italy invaded over the mountains just a few years later. Exploring the underground tunnels of the bunker complex at Fort de Plate Lombarde cost some time, but was welcome relief from the sun on a cloudless day.

Just 13 days into our hike the routine of rising early and walking for up to 12 hours each day has begun to feel arduous. Compare this with the reality of a submarine patrol, where there are no days off or changes of scenery, which can last for over 200 days dived. Many submariners work 6 hours on, 6 hours off continuously when at sea. This is why we're hiking to raise money for the RNRMC fund to support the welfare of submariners. Any donations are very gratefully received here:
https://givestar.io/gs/oardacious-overland

04/07/2026

We are delighted to be back at the HMS Collingwood Open Day.

If you are here today, please do come and meet this year’s HMS Oardacious crew.

We are proudly fundraising for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity , and we will be running some rowing challenges throughout the day. Come and test yourself against the submariners who will be taking on 3,000 miles of Atlantic rowing later this year. World’s Toughest Row

A huge thank you to HMS Collingwood for hosting us and for putting on yet another extraordinary day. It is a brilliant opportunity to connect with the local community, share our story, and inspire a few more people to take on their own challenges.

Come and say hello.

AtlanticRowing ForcesFamily Community

22/06/2026

Tonight, the waiting ends. Tomorrow, the battle begins. 🌊🇬🇧

Meet Cdr Rick Andrews, Lt Cdr Niall Copeland, Lt Carly James, PO Amy Risker, and AB Nyah Kauders. Five Royal Navy personnel bound by service, driven by a single goal, and standing on the edge of one of the toughest swims on Earth.

At 04:30 AM tomorrow (23 June), they will step into the North Channel—a bitter-cold, unpredictable stretch of water separating Northern Ireland from Scotland. It is a place that breaks the unprepared and humbles the brave. And they’ve chosen to face it.

This isn't just about distance. This is a 22-mile war of attrition from Donaghadee to Portpatrick. They will face:
🥶 Bone chilling water temperatures
⏱️ One-hour relay shifts, round the clock
🪼 Avoiding (or not) infamous Lion’s Mane jellyfish
🚢 Relentless swells and heavy shipping lanes

Back in June 2022, a previous Oardacious team conquered the English Channel in 17 hours and 11 minutes. Now, they are taking on the second Ocean Seven challenge—a crossing widely feared as the hardest of them all.

They are ready. Pictured here tonight in their team hoodies, getting some final warmth before the sunrise launch.

They are swimming for something bigger than themselves. Every stroke supports our naval community through the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC). Please show your support, leave them a message of strength, and donate if you can! 👇
🔗 Support the team here:

05/06/2026

We are all devastated to hear the news of the three Royal Navy personnel Lt Cdr Chris Gayson, PO Owen Green and Lt Lily-Mae Fisher who were killed in the Merlin Mk4 helicopter accident this week.

Our deepest sympathies and prayers are with the families, friends and colleagues of these three wonderful three service personnel.

Lily-Mae was very much part of our HMS Oardacious family, and we are all devastated by this tragedy.

She was a trailblazer in every sense of the word. She lived life to the absolute fullest, while serving her country with courage and distinction. As the Royal Navy’s only serving female commando, she became a powerful example of what can be achieved through mindset and her sheer force of character. Earning her green beret through the All Arms Commando Course was just one part of a much wider life

Lily-Mae achieved an extraordinary amount, both personally and professionally. She was an ultra-marathon runner, mountaineer, triathlete, climber, rower, ultra-endurance adventurer, paraglider, downhill and cross-country skier, and someone who never seemed to back away from anything difficult. She did not wait for opportunities to come to her. She created them, pursued them and inspired others to believe that they could do the same.

For HMS Oardacious, she was one of our Valkyries pioneers and a deeply loved part of the team. She brought energy and a sense of fun to everything she did. She was open about challenge and adversity and through that openness she gave strength to so many people across both the military and civilian worlds. Her accomplishments were remarkable, but they were only one part of a much richer tapestry: a wonderful human being full of life and generosity.

We are honoured and privileged to have known her, to have shared adventures with her, and to have witnessed the impact she had on so many young women and men following in her footsteps. We also recognise that the public achievements so many admired were only one part of who she was. Her private life, her family, her friendships and the people closest to her are at the heart of this loss.

We are mourning her deeply within the HMS Oardacious community. We loved her, we will miss her dearly, and we have no doubt that her impact and legacy will live on.

15/05/2026

This Mental Health Awareness Week, we’ve been reflecting on resilience, mindset and the importance of the small things that keep us mentally well.

This year’s theme from the Mental Health Foundation focuses on the power of small, actionable steps. Checking in on a friend or teammate. Making time for recovery. Getting outside. Moving more. Sleeping properly. Speaking honestly. Small actions that can have a profound impact on wellbeing.

At HMS Oardacious, ocean rowing has taught us that resilience is rarely built through dramatic moments. More often, it comes from consistency and connection; but ultimately doing the fundamentals well…especially under pressure.

During Atlantic crossings, it was often the simple things that mattered most. Sleep. Hydration. Nutrition. Humour. Teamwork. Looking after each other before small problems became larger ones.

The same principles apply in everyday life.

Resilience is not about endlessly “pushing through” or pretending everything is fine. It is dynamic. It can be strengthened but it can also deteriorate if we neglect the things that keep us healthy and connected.

Mindset matters too. Stress and fatigue can distort perspective, which is why strong teams create environments where people feel safe to speak honestly, ask for help and support one another.

Sometimes the smallest actions can make the biggest difference.

02/02/2026

Welcome to February.

The crew have now been back on dry land for two weeks. Long enough to wash the salt out, sleep in a bed again, and start adjusting to the strange rhythm of everyday life back on land.

As we reflect on 2025, we simply want to say thank you.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this campaign in all its forms.
Thank you to our incredible sponsors who continue to help us normalise the extraordinary.
Thank you to everyone who donated, shared, encouraged, and believed. Your support allows us to keep making a real difference within our community, and we are genuinely proud and grateful for that.

And finally, the biggest Bravo Zulu to our 2025 crew
Rich, Liam, Addison, and Guy.

What many people do not know is that at the start of 2025 we had a completely different crew lined up. For various personal and professional reasons that team had to step away. These four then stepped forward.

They did so with zero ocean rowing experience in early 2025.

They put their hands up and said, “I’ll give that a go.”

That, in itself, says everything. It is something deeply special about people in our Royal Navy . Not daunted by challenge. Willing to step into uncertainty. Ready to commit even when they do not yet have all the answers or experience.

They learned how to keep themselves safe.
They learned how to operate unfamiliar kit.
They solved problems daily.
They fixed things when they broke, which they did, plenty of times.

And they finished top 10 out of 43 teams to cross the Atlantic this year.

When you pause and think about that, it is pretty remarkable.

If you would still like to support the campaign, you can. The team are just a few hundred pounds short of their £15,000 fundraising target.

Every pound goes to Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity, helping to make a very real and very special difference within our community.

Before we look ahead to what 2026 has in store, and it is going to be exciting, we simply wanted to say thank you.

None of this happens without you.

27/01/2026

It’s been a week since our rowers stepped foot on dry land and we are delighted to share this epic arrival video. It captures the emotion, exhaustion, and pride of the finish line, and marks the end of an extraordinary adventure that now forms part of our incredible legacy.

We are hugely grateful for the support shown throughout the row. Thanks to your generosity, we are closing in on £14,000 raised for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines charity. With the finish line crossed, we would love one final push to help the crew reach £15,000 and maximise the impact of this crossing.

Donate at link in bio

Thank you to everyone who followed, shared, donated, and believed in the team. Bravo Zulu.

⚓💙

24/01/2026

Last night, the crew were honoured to be invited to the Royal Naval Tot Club of Antigua & Barbuda ⚓🍹

This is a place that has become a familiar and very special stop for us over the years and, as always, the welcome was warm, generous, and full of naval spirit. We’re incredibly grateful to be included and made to feel so at home every time we arrive in Antigua.

For those who don’t know, the Royal Naval Tot Club of Antigua & Barbuda has an international membership spanning many nations, but it’s only in Antigua that you can become a member.

Members meet every evening, all year round, to hear readings from Royal Navy history and to toast His Majesty, The King, with a different traditional toast for each night of the week. The club is also deeply involved in charitable fundraising, promoting Antigua within the yachting community, and even rolling up sleeves on Sundays, clearing trails, maintaining historic sites, and keeping Antigua’s heritage alive.

It’s a place steeped in history, camaraderie, and service. Yesterday evening perfectly rounded off the crew’s return to land. Thank you for the hospitality, the stories, and the rum. Until next time.

So far we’ve raised £13,291.89 for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity and we are still chasing down the £20,000 goal!

Still looking to donate?

https://givestar.io/gs/hms-oardacious

23/01/2026

This started with a boat, four oars, and a decision to go all in.

What followed was 36 days of heat, fatigue, broken sleep, blisters, doubt, laughter, silence, and relentless forward motion. No shortcuts. No comfort. Just the Atlantic and the next stroke.

Across 36 days at sea, the crew lost a combined 32 kilograms, burned away stroke by stroke under an unforgiving sun, through broken sleep and endless repetition. That’s the physical cost of rowing an ocean.

Every kilo lost tells a story of effort, resilience, and pushing on when stopping would’ve been easier. But they didn’t stop. They kept going for each other, and for the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity.

The men who stepped onto Captain Jim in La Gomera are not the same men who rowed her into Antigua. The ocean has a way of doing that, taking what you bring, and giving something harder-earned back.

HMS Oardacious crossed 3,000 miles of ocean to raise funds and awareness for the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity. The rowing may be over, but the impact doesn’t have to be.

If you’ve followed the journey, shared a post, or felt even a moment of pride watching them arrive, please consider donating. Help turn miles rowed into lasting support.

HMS Oardacious. The fifth crossing. Lasting purpose.

🔗 Link in bio

https://givestar.io/gs/hms-oardacious

22/01/2026

We asked the boys for an update on life after rowing the Atlantic…

Liam replied: “We are still eating.” (Exhibit A: this photo 🍽️😅)

Post-row reality is kicking in. Their bodies are still feeling a bit off-kilter after weeks at sea, having lost muscle used for everyday things like walking. Sounds mad, but when you’ve lived in extreme close quarters with almost no room to move, it’s been nothing but rowing, rowing, and more rowing.

Recovery is underway, appetites remain undefeated, and the journey isn’t quite over yet…

We’re still fundraising and so close to the £10k target. Any extra donations right now would be absolutely amazing and hugely appreciated.

🔗 Link in bio 💙⚓

https://givestar.io/gs/hms-oardacious

HMS Oardacious

27/07/2026

04/07/2026

22/06/2026

05/06/2026

15/05/2026

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