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George and Russ are currently rowing the Atlantic Ocean to raise money for dementia charities – and they’ve just hit the halfway mark.

George Nelson, aged 56, and his brother-in-law Russ Davis, aged 55, are together the Oar Blimey team and are rowing unsupported for 3,500 nautical miles – from Sagres in Portugal to Marigot in St Martin in the Caribbean over 80 days – after setting sail on December 1, 2023.

Team Oar Blimey are rowing in a Rannoch Adventure R20, which is just 6.5m long and 1.2m wide, in their bid to help Our Dementia Choir with Vicky McClure and Ladybrook Enterprises.

After a slight detour – being an emergency stop in Gran Canaria over Christmas due to a battery and solar panel change – the men are now roughly 1,200 miles from their finishing point.

George Nelson and his brother-in-law Russ Davis.

The aim is to keep the boat moving the whole time, with George and Russ taking alternating turns rowing for two hours, then resting for two hours, all the time every day throughout the adventure.

Over the weekend, the pair witnessed the beauty of the Atlantic Ocean with a sighting of a whale which George said really “lifted their spirits” –after they failed to cover the intended miles for the day.

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George said: “We’re at the stage where we desperately want to be getting closer to St Martin and back to those we love.

“And yet, we keep getting obstacles thrown at us. But one thing is clear – both Russ and I are pretty resilient.”

Readers can track the sailors on their travels – and make a donation – by visiting https://oarblimey.co.uk/

George said due to the “slow progress”, the boat has become low on food but after an insightful phone call with his dad, he said he caught a Dorado fish – weighing about 20lbs – and proceeded to clean and fillet it, giving the sailors a “much-needed” protein boost.

Speaking on why the brothers-in-law decided to take on the challenge, they said: “The common link between people living with dementia and rowing across the Atlantic Ocean is, at times, the physical and mental strain will push us to our absolute limits.

“Because of this our Atlantic challenge is totally dedicated to people who live with dementia in their lives.”

Mansfield duo hit halfway mark on Atlantic voyage fundraiser