The first people to start the Cowes week rowathon were quite literally arresting. Two police officers on patrol opened the account and the week was underway. Staying at UKSA, Gus Mckechnie and Craig Biles spent nine days of routinely opening the tent at nine in the morning setting everything up and then rowing themselves in between getting the public involved. They were joined and helped later in the week by a Als Boden who just finished sailing around Britain becoming the youngest male to do so.

The team were raising money for the Ellen Macarthur Trust, a charity who inspires children to recovering from cancer and leukaemia through sailing. Some those children who benefit from the help of the trust and are recovering took their turns to row. The stand was a massive hit with some of the young children visiting Cowes, with some very competitive parents getting involved.

The ladies were the focus for Thursday with the EMT ladies rowing challenge taking place. The chance to win a Liz Earle hamper and a magnum of Mumm champagne proved to much with ladies lining up to take it in turns to win the prize. Friday providing another rush with the lure of the traditional Cowes week fireworks. The team managed to find enough time to relax and watch the display from the Scarlett Oyster a boat used by the trust and also one that had tried to water bomb them from sea!

Saturday the ninth then rolled around the first day of the Olympic rowing regatta. Gus completed his 5,503km he promised to complete at the beginning of the year. Perhaps the most remarkable achievement of the week though was watching the young cancer survivors utterly enjoying life. The exhaustion was suddenly made very worth while.