The value of the John Ridgway 'Save The Albatross' voyage is its independence and dedication. It's the fact that the issue is so important that a bunch of individuals, deliberately unsponsored and independent, are volunteering their time and resources to do something about it.
- Anonymous Prominent Environmentalist May 2003.

Safe Arrival In Cape Town!

The English Rose and its four steely crew members have all arrived safe and sound in Cape Town yesterday after nearly 7,000 miles at sea! We're absolutley thrilled, here at h2g2, that this first major leg of the journey went so well and we wholeheartedly congratulate the crew! To read about the journey thus far click here to get access to John Ridgway's diaries.

Please feel free to drop John Ridgway a line at the bottom of this entry - he'll very much appreciate it!

An Epic Journey

John Ridgway (the first man on earth along with Chay Blythe to row across the Atlantic) and his author/sailor wife Marie Christine, have just left their remote home in the North of Scotland to embark on a fabulous, perilous, journey. Why? Because they are going to save the albatross.

In their trusted yacht, English Rose VI, and with the help of communications guru Nick Grainger, John Ridgway and Marie Christine are sailing to Antarctica in order to raise awareness of the serious plight of this near-mythical bird, the magnificent albatross.

Save The Albatross and h2g2

This is a very high-profile journey - John Ridgway is famous throughout the world - and you will all be able to read about it in your Sunday broadsheets, soon enough (think Ellen MacArthur). But what's more, John Ridgway had chosen h2g2 as the site through which he will communicate his epic journey to the rest of the world. He has decided to use the h2g2 site to host every single bit of Save The Albatross content, and in the coming weeks and months, users of h2g2 will be able to plot the route of the English Rose as it ventures south. You will be able to interact with the crew, ask questions, and have access to up-to-date diaries and information as they sail to the bottom of the world.

Latest 'Save The Albatross' News

• Click here to see the
  Daily Log From The Yacht

STOP PRESS...

• BBC news has already started writing about John's extraordinary adventure. Read environment correspondent Alex Kirby's latest report on
  BBC News Online:
  John Ridgway on BBC News Online

• John Ridgway's departure featured in The Times, 28/07/03:
  The Times Online

• Excellent piece on John Ridgway in Scotland's Sunday Herald, 27/07/03:
  
  The Sunday Herald

• The departure featured in the News in Brief section of the Daily Telegraph, 28/07/03:
  
  The Daily Telegraph

Photos and Video

• Click here to see the
  The Photo Album

• Click here to watch 15-second film clip of the start of the voyage.

Drop Them A Line!

But for now, why not leave John and his crew a message on the threads below, wishing them all the best of luck for the rest of the journey ahead, and to join us in congratulating them on their inspired decision to journey south to Save The Albatross - all at their own expense!. To find out more about Save The Albatross and John Ridgway you can read any of the following links:

• Contents Page for the Albatross Voyage
• Introduction - John Ridgway
• Overview of the proposed voyage
• The Crew - John Ridgway
• John and Marie Christine Ridgway
• Publications by the Ridgways
• The Yacht English Rose V1

• For other personal accounts visit Video Nation.