Keith Whelan aims to become one of only five people who have rowed solo across the Indian Ocean from Western Australia to Mauritius. He’s the first Irishman to attempt the journey, the youngest person, and is also the first person to attempt it… you guessed it… naked. He plans to combat the elements with nothing more than sun block and a sheepskin to sit on. Now, I did the rowing machine at the gym once and I had to burn those underpants, so I can’t imagine the state the sheepskin will be in after 3-4 months. He may want to pack an extra one.
Also, in order to accomplish a world record, he isn’t allowed to have any contact with other people which means he will invariably miss one, little, triangular spot in the middle of his back and get completely fried.
Mr. Whelan shoves off in about three weeks… Good luck, Godspeed, and use the SPF 100 on the ol’ Blarney Stones.
An ambitious rower plans to set a new world record by becoming the youngest male to cross the Indian Ocean on his own. But Kildare man Keith Whelan will be completely naked when he tackles the 6,000 kilometre crossing from Western Australia to Mauritius.
The 30-year-old will row 12 hours every day - two hours on and two hours off - for up to 120 days, completing 1.8 million gruelling oar strokes in searing heat, up to 50 foot ocean swells, hurricane force winds and raging storms.
However, Mr Whelan, who will also attempt to become the first Irish person to row the ocean solo, said there was logic behind his decision only to protect himself from the elements with sun block and by sitting on a sheep skin rug.
"When you're at sea rowing for three and a half to four months the salt gets encrusted in your clothes, and you can't wash them," he said. "Eventually your clothes will feel like you're wearing sandpaper and you will begin to chafe."
Source: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/republic-of-ireland/naked-rower-aims-for-ocean-record-15112546.html