A Fighting Chance

by John Ridgway, Chay Blyth

Back in June 1966, two British Army paratroopers, Captain John Ridgway and Sergeant Chay Blyth, embarked on the adventure of a lifetime. To row from Orleans, Cape Cod across the Atlantic Ocean to Ireland in nothing more than a 20ft dory named English Rose III. A journey of over 3,000 miles, they survived a hurricane, storms, starvation, injury, sickness, risked shark attacks or being mown down by passing ships unaware of their tiny craft. 'A Fighting Chance' is their story. A tale of courage, fear and the sheer determination to survive and win, the ever present threat of death never more than inches away. This is the sort of adventure story that used to fire your imagination as a kid. A real boys own tale that takes the reader along on the three month odyssey with Ridgway and Blyth. A true inspiration that shows with the right mindset and approach, even the seemingly impossible can be overcome. 'A Fighting Chance' is surely one of the greatest adventures ever documented.

Genres: Travel, Adventure

220 pages, Paperback

First published May 31, 1966

Reviews

[Adam Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Staggering feat of endurance, a cracking book

[Joe White]

Almost the first successful Atlantic row crossing from west to east. Contrasts to The Penance Way crewed by David Johnstone and John Hoare, who took a different approach to disciplined rowing and died in their attempt to be the first in contemporary times to row west to east across the north Atlantic. Chay Blyth, now "Sir", is the primary originator of the Atlantic rowing challenge, which seems to be growing in popularity and has very few if any deaths associated with the Atlantic crossing. While not explicitly detailed on a per day basis, this is a very good look at the beginning of the sport, in particular in regard to the weather dangers and the daily grind of attempting to make progress.