Time is going really quickly and we still have so much to do. On he one hand, our fundraising is proving successful, but on the other hand, it needs to be much more successful in order for us to make the start line. It's a constant sourceof worry and excitement. Worry that we must raise the funds as fast as possible, and excitement when fresh donations come in, or new sponsors and supporters sign up.

But as normal, we haven't just been thinking about it, and actions speak louder than words. The last month has seen both of us qualify in Sea Survival and gain our VHF radio licences. Both courses were good fun and gave the opportunity to meet up with other rowers training for the 2007 race.

But the greatest achievement, apart from actually hauling ourselves into the life raft in the middle of a mock 'storm', was Lin's absolute proof that the work done with Ned, our coach, to cure her fear of water has worked. After 30+ years of being scared of going under the water and suffering from horrible flashbacks, it was fantastic to see her laughing and splashing around in the water. Thanks Ned!

We're hoping that most of you caught our appearance on Ready Steady Cook, although it was shown at an earlier date than we had expected. Obviously the winnings go to Breast Cancer Care and we're going to auction the hamper at a forthcoming event, so it didn't really matter who won. Great fun though!

Rachel has done her first talk which went down well and boosted her confidence - much needed as her next public appearance was to stand on stage alongside Ben Fogle and James Cracknell at the Chester Literature Festival (in front of 400 people) and do the official thank you. No pressure at all then.

Both rowers spent another enjoyable weekend at Salop Leisure, this time with the boat on display. Naturally this generated a huge amount of interest anad really is the key to capturing the public's imagination - although being recognised from TV a few times did help! Salop Leisure ar proving to be a significant suppporter and we've also had confirmed Silver sponsorship from BoatQuays this month.

And finally... the new website is under development, thanks to a company called Room 58 who have stepped in to help. Since Saltwater PR helped us to launch it last year, it's been without doubt the most valuable item in our toolbox and we would have been lost without it. But a refresh is needed as our race start approaches. We'll keep you posted on the launch and email out so that you can all have a sneaky preview of the new features as soon as it goes live!

That's all for now, but please remember to keep telling everyone you know about our challenge, you just never know when that big sponsor might just turn up!

Question of the month - What level of first aid skills do you need?

The RYA First Aid at Sea qualification is mandatory for this race. Both rowers are first aid at work qualified already and found the course covered most of the same skillls - but with one big difference... at sea there's no 999 to call and no nice paramedics to come and take over!

But the team are going to take this a step further. Having assessed the boat and spent time on deck and in the cabins, they felt that the most likely injuries will be cuts and bruises. So they're arranging to have some additional training in suturing techniques, just to make sure that all eventualities are covered.

After all, preparation is key and a bad cut could jeopardise the whole challenge. It's something relatively simple to learn and could be crucial to their success.