Lone rower supporting mates' effort

Hamish Ludbrook (25), of Wanaka, has decided to share the pain of his mates' campaign to be the first four-man team to row 5742km across the Indian Ocean, and raise money for prostate cancer charities.

Yesterday, Mr Ludbrook set up his rowing machine on a small reserve outside the Lake Wanaka Centre, where he intends to row for two hours a day until he raises $10,000 towards his friends' target of at least $180,000.

He clocked up 22.5km in his first daily rowing stint, raising $28.

He was philosophical about the small progress towards his goal, compared with what his friends were facing.

"Oh well. I will have to be rowing for a long, long time if that's the case."

His friends Matt Hampel (32), Billy Gammon (35), Tom Wigram (30) and Pete Staples (38), all formerly from the UK and now living and working in Auckland, are now 25 days into their 60- to 70-day, 5742km journey from Geraldton, West Australia, to Mauritius.

Their team, Rowing for Prostate, is using a 8.8m by 1.8m boat named Glenda, which a British Army team rowed across the Atlantic Ocean in 2006.

The boat has since been modified to meet the requirements of the Indian Ocean Rowing Race organisers.

Rowing for Prostate (RFP) is one of seven teams still competing in the inaugural race (four have withdrawn so far) and has had to deal with storms, broken slides and loss of solar power.

The most recent update on the race website shows the team in second place, behind the all-female team Ocean Angels from the UK.

Back in Wanaka, Mr Ludbrook said he did not realise how hard it would be to row for two hours, and after 40 minutes he felt he was struggling.

But his friends knew he was doing it, and that had given them a pick-up, Mr Ludbrook said.

The idea to do the Indian Ocean race came from a New Year's Eve conversation about prostate cancer, when his friends decided to do something amazing before they died, Mr Ludbrook said.

He declined an invitation to take part, because he was supporting his sister Erica and her husband, Jason, while their 2-year-old daughter Lily Farrimond received treatment for a stomach cancer at Starship Hospital, in Auckland.

Unfortunately, Lily did not survive the cancer.

"She was so amazing and incredible. She didn't complain. She was just inspiring, which is why I am doing this," Mr Ludbrook said.

The race

Indian Ocean rowing race

Distance: 5742km between Western Australia and Mauritius.
Departed: April 19.
Entrants: 11 - two solo rowers, four pairs, four teams of four and one team of eight.
Withdrawals: Four - two pairs, one four and one solo.
Positions so far: All-female UK team Ocean Angels in the lead (2024km to go); all-male Auckland team, Rowing for Prostate, second (2106km to go).
Websites: www.indianoceanrowingrace09.com; [2] www.rowingforprostate.com [3]