At IMP & MAKER, we are no strangers to British spirit, bold ideas, and proper good food to fuel life’s biggest moments. Which is why we are beyond proud to be sponsoring the Force Horizon team as they take on the 2025 World’s Toughest Row. This is the story behind their incredible challenge, why they are doing it and what it takes to row an ocean with nothing but muscle power, grit and a carefully packed stash of food.
Old friends taking on a once in a lifetime challenge
Kip Wells and Chris Ambler grew up in Lincolnshire and first met at secondary school in Sleaford. They clicked straight away and have stayed firm friends ever since. What started as a daft idea between two mates has now become a full-blown expedition that will push them to their limits and raise money for a cause close to their hearts.
In December 2025 they will set off from La Gomera in the Canary Islands and row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic to Antigua. No engine. No support boat. Just two blokes, a pair of oars and the stubborn determination to get there.
Supporting the Jon Egging Trust
Kip and Chris are rowing for the Jon Egging Trust (JET), a charity that helps underconfident and underprivileged young people build resilience, self-belief and a sense of direction when life feels tough.
Both say they would have benefitted from this kind of support as teenagers. Their message to JET’s Blue Skies students is simple: it does get better and anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
For them, the row is not just a physical challenge. It is a chance to show young people that bravery comes in all forms and that perseverance can take you further than you think.
What rowing an ocean actually involves
If you imagine sunsets, sea breezes and steady rhythm, think again. The World’s Toughest Row is exactly what it sounds like. Once the guys leave La Gomera they will be completely unsupported. No resupplies. No stopping. No help unless it is life or death, and receiving assistance would immediately disqualify them.
They will spend between 45 and 60 days at sea, depending on weather, navigation and luck. It is around 1.5 million oar strokes each, which is roughly the same distance as rowing from London to New York.
To prepare, Kip and Chris have already been completing overnight training rows around the UK, undertaking sea survival courses and fitting in as much joint training as possible. This has been especially tricky because Chris has been living in Tanzania for much of the build-up, but they have made every hour together count.
They have also raised funds through community events, climbed the Yorkshire Three Peaks and even brewed their own Force Horizon beer with a local brewery.
A boat built for survival
Their custom Rannoch R25 is named Memento Mori, a Latin phrase chosen by a friend and boat-naming competition winner, Anna. It means ‘remember you must die’, but for the lads it is a reminder to grab life by the scruff of the neck and make the most of every opportunity. When you are in the middle of the Atlantic, it will also be a useful reminder to keep rowing.
Food: the fuel that keeps them moving
Every calorie they eat must be carried from day one. Ocean rowers burn between 5,000 and 6,000 calories a day and even then, most lose 10 to 15 kilos during the crossing.
Their meals will be almost entirely freeze dried and rehydrated using water produced on board by a solar-powered desalination. Alongside that they will have energy bars, nuts, dried fruit, sweets, protein powders and carefully rationed treats for morale.
This is where we are thrilled to lend a hand. We have supplied their snack packs to give them a boost on the hardest days, the chilly night shifts and the milestones worth celebrating. Organisation is everything on an ocean boat. Each food pack is vacuum sealed and stored in labelled hatches to keep the weight balanced. Lose one bag and things can get tricky fast.
Eat, sleep, row, repeat becomes their whole world.
And yes, they will also be celebrating Christmas at sea. They have packed festive snacks to mark the day, even if they will be eating them between two-hour rowing shifts.
Why they are really doing it
Yes, it is an outrageous adventure. Yes, it is the sort of thing you only agree to when your best mate suggests it. But it is also about resilience, teamwork and proving that you can keep going even when life throws you something unexpected.
Kip and Chris know what it means to struggle and what a difference the right support can make. Their row is a message to the young people supported by JET. That courage looks like turning up. That progress is made one stroke at a time. That you can do hard things, even when they feel impossible.
Follow their journey
Follow Kip and Chris on social media throughout their training and during the race:
Instagram and Facebook: @force_horizon
Website: forcehorizon.com
To Kip and Chris: we are proud to back you, proud to fuel you and proud to see our logo riding the waves with you. Here is to adventure, perseverance and a very well-earned feast when you reach Antigua.
