The Impossible Row: who are the men Joe Rogan labelled ‘crazy’ for attempting to row across the Drake Passage?

Six men are embarking on a row from South America to the Antarctic across arguably the most hazardous stretch of water on earth. The Drake Passage is off Cape Horn, on the southern tip of Chile, where the Pacific, Southern and Atlantic oceans meet and the furious winds of the roaring 40s latitude are funnelled into the narrow stretch of water, creating huge waves.

“It is one of the most interesting, one of the most dangerous rows in history,” said team member Jamie Douglas-Hamilton, who is British. “But what makes it so interesting is it's not a done deal. We are talking about it, and the press talk about it, as though we've already done it. But there is so much that can go wrong.”

The team plan to leave from South America in December. The exact date depends on the weather. They aim to make their way to the Antarctic Peninsula, then continue through the roaring 40s, furious 50s and to the screaming 60 degrees south and into the Southern Ocean.

Although the Passage can be hectic, on other days it can be calm, earning itself the nicknames the Drake Lake or the Drake Shake.

“The weather can whip up very quickly, and the waves come from different sides. But it's a very small boat,” said Douglas-Hamilton, who has rowed the Indian ocean.