Trimite Global Coatings has announced that it will sponsor the two-man crew of The Entrepreneur Ship in their bid to become the oldest duo to row across an ocean.
Guy Rigby and David Murray, with a combined age of 124, are aiming to complete the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge by rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean island of Antigua in just 60 days.
The Guinness World Record attempt will happen in December 2021, and the duo will be doing so to raise funds for social enterprise charity, UnLtd, which aims to empower promising entrepreneurs from disadvantaged backgrounds across the UK.
Economists believe that social entrepreneurs will play a key role in the post-Covid economic recovery, with the industry already thought to be worth £60 billion, equivalent to three per cent of UK GDP.
Rigby, who will be 68 by December, comes from an accountancy background and is passionate about helping aspiring business leaders, having founded the Entrepreneurial Services Group working at accountants Smith & Williamson.
Rigby’s crew partner Murray comes from the investing industry and is well-versed in working with start-ups in the commercial and not-for-profit sectors. He will be 56 by the time of the world record challenge.
This sponsorship is not the first time that Trimite have thrown their backing behind a world record attempt, with the business having a history of doing so going back to 1983. That year, the company supported Aspen F3 World Series Champion Rick Frost, when he successfully set the water-speed record on Lake Windermere in a speedboat.
Trimite’s group sales director, Sharon Harrison, commented: “As a company whose products’ reputations are based on endurance in all conditions, including extreme, it seemed appropriate to support this challenge. We know how hard Guy [Rigby] and David [Murray] are training, so are confident that they will be in the best shape possible to take this on in December.
“As a business very much rooted in our local communities, we are also pleased to support the drive to help social entrepreneurs and build businesses that promote social mobility and benefit people locally.”
