HMS Oardacious take time out in memory of rival who died during World's Toughest Row

Alex Candlin

8th January 2024 at 12:45pm

The teams took a pause in the race to honour the memory of Commander Alisdair Putt from the Aussie Old Salts (Picture: Toughest Row)

Royal Navy team HMS Oardacious have paid tribute to a fellow competitor who passed away last week while taking part in the World's Toughest Row.

Oardacious, along with the rest of the fleet, stopped rowing for 10 minutes to honour the memory of Commander Alisdair Putt, a member of the Aussie Old Salts team.

They also urged people to support Aussie Old Salts' fundraising efforts for a veteran transition centre near Perth, Western Australia.

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"Whilst we continue raising money for our charity, as a fleet we'd like to help the Aussie Old Salts reach their fundraising target of $50,000AUD, to honour their skipper Commander Alisdair Putt," wrote HMS Oardacious in an online post.

After initially hearing the news of Cdr Putt's death, they wrote on LinkedIn: "The crew of HMS Oardacious have been made aware, and their thoughts, as well as the thoughts of the wider HMS Oardacious team are with Alisdair's loved ones, and with his teammates aboard the vessel.

"In honour of Alisdair, HMS Oardacious along with the rest of the fleet will be taking ten minutes off the oars tonight at 2200, dimming the navigation lights, looking up to the stars, and raising a drink to him and Aussie Old Salts.

"With one member of the crew being a submariner, and Alisdair himself being an Australian Royal Naval Reserve, their story is connected with ours."

HMS Oardacious aim to set a record for completing the 3,000-mile distance from the Canary Islands to Antigua in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, known as the World's Toughest Row.

Their most recent navigational update placed them 714 nautical miles away from Antigua.

HMS Oardacious are currently traveling at 3.0 knots and are in the lead of the race.

They were also visited by a pair of minke whales, which they caught on camera under the boat.

Watch: HMS Oardacious share brutal challenges of World's Toughest Row as they target new record.

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