Adventurer Shaun Quincey, 24, plans to row solo from Australia to New Zealand. If successful, Shaun will make the only solo crossing of the Tasman, other than his father, Colin Quincey, who made history in 1977 by completing the first ever and only solo Tasman crossing from New Zealand to Australia.
Following in his father's footsteps, Shaun will depart Australia in November 2009, rowing the treacherous Tasman Sea without any assistance. Shaun will battle a distance of over 2200km in 10-20 metre swells and one of the most hazardous seas in the world. Taking an estimated 50 days, his expedition, named Tasman Trespasser 2, will be an epic adventure.
Shaun has enjoyed his father's mentorship and as the only person to ever cross the Tasman solo, Colin Quincey brings a unique perspective to Shaun's planning. Colin is a legend amongst the outdoor and adventure community and made his crossing without the technology and support modern explorers enjoy. Serving 25 years in the Royal New Zealand Navy, Colin also worked with disadvantaged children in Tonga, Thailand and Cambodia before settling in Darwin to work with the local community.
Shaun hopes that his expedition will be as successful as his father's after a recent series of failed bids to make a solo crossing of the Tasman. Perhaps the most tragic occurred in February 2007, when 39-year-old Australian Andrew McAuley died. His body was never found.
Shaun believes he is taking a very serious approach. "I am rowing a custom Woodvale Ocean Rowing boat which is reinforced with a special Kevlar coating for added protection", he said. "I have asked people like my father, and others with proven experience and commitment, for their help, and to act as an Advisory Board". The team that supported James Castrission and Justin Jones, the kayakers who crossed the ditch one year ago, are supporting the project alongside world famous solo rowers and experts in many fields.
Colin's boat was named Tasman Trespasser and Shaun thought it fitting to name his boat and expedition "Tasman Trespasser II".
Further Information and expedition updates available at: http://www.tasmantrespasser.com/
About Shaun Quincey
Born in an Army Jungle hospital in Singapore on the 27 of September 1984, Shaun moved to North Island of New Zealand to the Waiouru Army Camp at the age of 2 and lived there while his father was involved in a communications program.
At 4 years of age Shaun moved to Devonport, Auckland, which is home to the Royal New Zealand Navy where his father was based. Throughout his life, Shaun has always been involved with sport, playing soccer from the age of 5 until he was 7, when he started playing Rugby for North Shore Rugby Club. Rugby was to rule his life for 18 years, making the first XV at the age of 14 and playing in various age group teams while growing up.
Rowing entered Shaun's life at the age of 14 years at Takapuna Grammar School, which provided the stepping stone to Surf Boat Rowing and eventually the Tasman Sea. As well as preparing for the Tasman crossing, Shaun is currently studying for his Masters in Business Administration after working in business development and advertising for the past 3 years.
About Colin Quincey
Colin Quincey defines the old school adventurer. At age 17, Colin left his home town of Yorkshire, England to participate in the tall ships race around the world, serving on the George Voch, a German square rigger, eventually sailing into Hawaii, which was to be his home for some time as an apprentice to the sea.
After sailing the oceans of the world, New Zealand became his home and the desire for adventure began brewing. While Colin was working on the New Zealand spirit of adventure he was triggered by some of the young cadets lack of interest in trying new things and pushing their own limits.
The cotton wool wrapping up the young people of the world needed to be removed and Colin Quincey was going to be the one to show them how to do it! The Tasman Trespasser campaign was born and Colin was to row the Tasman 6 months later, making history and putting New Zealand on the map of adventure again.
Colin's life between then and now hasn't slowed one bit. After serving 25 years with the Royal New Zealand Navy, Colin has worked with disadvantaged children in Tonga, Thailand and Cambodia and now resides in Darwin Australia. He has had many more planned adventures on the way.
About Rush Labs
Rush labs is an action media and real-time technology group focused on innovation, commercialisation and entrepreneurship. Since 2005, we have rapidly developed a reputation for leading world class projects in a diverse range of action sport, commercial, research and government settings.
Rush labs typically supports entrepreneurs who take measurable risks, make smart aggressive decisions and ambitiously seek to discover new limits. Building expertise in real-time analytics, predictive intelligence and visualisation, rush labs has progressively broadened focus on developing solutions to support real-time, high-risk, time-sensitive decision making.
Rush works and plays with a surprising and growing range of clients and collaborators inspiring research and commercial projects across applications including Action Sports, Adventure, Counter Terrorism, Law Enforcement, Human Terrain, Ocean Yacht Racing, Aviation, Commercial Fraud, Military and National Security and Incident Response.
Recent Rush Labs projects include:
- World First Trans Tasman Kayak Expedition Crossing the Ditch
- World Fastest Circumnavigation of the World by Helicopter The Grand Adventure
- World First Mother Daughter Summit of Mount Everest Oz Chicks with Altitude - Bigpond Everest
