In December 2022, three brothers from the New Forest will be rowing 3,000 across the
Atlantic Ocean in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge. They will be the first children of an
Atlantic rower to compete with their father’s time and at the same time will be raising funds
for well-regarded conservation charity Tusk.

Louis, Felix and Finn Ambrose, whose team name for the challenge is the “Ambrose Buoys”,
have been inspired to row the Atlantic ever since 2003 when their father, Hugo Ambrose,
competed in the Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race. Rowing in a pair, Hugo crossed the
Atlantic in 59 days – and now his three sons aim to do it in 40 days!

“Hearing stories about the endeavour, witnessing first-hand the toll it took and experiencing
the atmosphere at the finish line has done little to quell our curiosity. In fact, as children, we
were so confident that we would not only take on the challenge but also surpass our father’s
time of 59 days, that we made a bet with him… for £5!”, says Felix.

The boys grew up in Lymington, attended Hordle Walhampton School and were regulars at
Salterns Sailing Club and Lymington Cricket Club. Although the trio now work and study in
London they regularly return home and can often be spotted at the Sea Water Baths, which
their father manages. This week they are delighted to have launched their boat, “Ambrosia”,
which is currently at Lymington Town Sailing Club.

The Ambrose Buoys will set off across the second largest ocean in the world from La
Gomera and row the 3,000 miles to Antigua unaccompanied. The brothers will row day and
night, swapping around the clock on two hour shifts to race their father’s time. The journey is
likely to take between 5 and 8 weeks of continuous rowing and will test the brothers’
psychological and physical strength.

This premier event in ocean rowing, dubbed ‘The World’s Toughest Row’, is the ultimate test
of physical and mental endurance, with up to thirty teams competing from around the world.
Throughout the crossing, the brothers will be at the mercy of the elements, potential
hurricanes, capsizes, giant waves, equipment failure, passage of large vessels, large marine
life, sea sickness and injury.

Louis, who has been nominated skipper by his younger brothers, said, “We are three
ambitious brothers who have always enjoyed challenging ourselves. The length of time that
this is going to take makes it unique, it’s just as much psychological as it is physiological and
as a result we are tailoring our preparation accordingly.”

Louis, Felix and Finn aim to raise £200,000 for the charity, Tusk, which for over thirty years
has been supporting progressive conservation action across Africa, tackling poaching,
habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict. “We were all in agreement about supporting Tusk. The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has not only created a huge challenge for conservation, but has highlighted how connected we are to the natural world, and illustrated just how delicate that web is,” says Finn,
explaining why the brothers chose Tusk as their nominated charity. “From the oceans we sail on, through the habitats that provide the air we breathe, to the estimated 10 million plant and animal species that share our planet, there has never been a more crucial time to fight for the protection of all life on earth. In Africa, one of the most biodiverse areas on our planet, the relentless impact of the pandemic threatens to undo decades of conservation progress.”

Bear Grylls, the patron of Tusk, said, “The Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge pushes its
entrants to the absolute limit of their physical and mental endurance. As a proud patron of
Tusk, I have huge admiration for the Ambrose brothers who are not only taking on the
biggest adventure of their lives but following in their father’s footsteps and raising money for
an incredible cause.”
Join the Ambrose Buoys on their journey! There are a number of ways in which you can support Louise, Felix and Finn.
The Ambrose Buoys are looking for corporate partners and business sponsors to join them
on their epic journey, helping initially to fund the important equipment needed to participate
in the challenge. Businesses are being offered a range of partnership packages, including
advertising space on the boat, coverage on their website and features on their social media.
There will also be extensive media coverage to a global audience by the dedicated Atlantic
Challenge team in the lead up, during the challenge and after their arrival in Antigua.
The brothers also welcome sponsorship to help them get set for their voyage and have
recently posted a kit list on their website, with items ranging from mugs and a compass to a
life raft and a para anchor!

For more information please visit the Ambrose Buoys’ website ambrosebuoys.com or contact
Louis, Felix or Finn Ambrose via email on [email protected].
To help the Ambrose Buoys raise the much-needed funds for Tusk, they have a donation
fundraising page at HERE