I headed to Gosport today to photograph soldiers from the Colchester based 7 Parachute Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery. The soldiers are about to embark on a journey across the Atlantic Ocean to help raise money for Help for Heroes and the Royal Artillery Charitable Fund.
Exercise Atlantic Challenge will see the soldiers set sail on HMSTV Endeavour from the Isle of Wight on Sunday, June 19 with the aim being to arrive in New York in mid-July after the 3,200 nautical mile crossing.
With a civilian skipper at the helm, the crew of 14 includes keen sailors and soldiers who will be taking to the waves for the first time. For the novices, a week of training in the Solent is all the preparation they will have for the trip.
Expedition leader Captain John O’Keeffe said: “Crossing the Atlantic is still one of the hardest challenges available and something that we are not taking lightly.”
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