Jock Wishart

Jock Wishart is a maritime and polar adventurer, sportsman and explorer. Until his successful 2011 Old Pulteney Row to the Pole, he was best known for his circumnavigation of the globe in a powered vessel, setting a new world record in the Cable & Wireless Adventurer and for organising and leading the Polar Race.

In 2015 Jock led an expedition the 1996 Magnetic North Pole for the children's charity of rugby – Wooden Spoon. The Arctic Rugby Challenge was a trek across the ice to the Pole where they played the 'most northerly rugby match in history'. He trained the participants, including former international rugby stars Tim Stimpson and Ollie Phillips, in Arctic trekking and survival skills. Jock was forced to direct operations from Resolute Bay after an injury prevented his own participation. His teams reached the Pole and succeeded in playing the 'most northerly' rugby match supervised by former England hooker Lee Mears as referee. It has been recognised as an official Guinness World Record. Wooden Spoon expected to raise in excess of £200,000 from the fundraiser.

In 2010 Wishart announced his intention to take a rowing boat to the certified 1996 position of the Geomagnetic North Pole (The position is 78°35.7N 104°11.9W). At the time, he described how it has only become possible to consider an attempt like this in recent years due to the increase in seasonal sea ice melt and the much-documented changes to the Arctic climate.

His expedition, The Old Pulteney Row to the Pole voyage, set out on 28 July 2011 from Resolute Bay, Nunavut, Canada, to travel 450 miles. At the, Wishart described the timing of the expedition as being crucial because the final section of the journey is only navigable for a few weeks of the year before refreezing.

Wishart said of his latest expedition: "It is hard to imagine that in the 21st century there are still parts of our oceans that have never been explored. This is truly a voyage into the unknown – within 60 nautical miles of the start of our voyage; we will be taking The Old Pulteney through waters that have may never been navigated by any surface vessel."

On 25 August 2011 at 1830 hours Wishart's boat reached this Pole position. He announced the success saying: "There is now a row boat at the '96 Mag. North Pole"

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Wikipedia