 Back in Argentina he first read of Chay Blyth and John Ridgway’s successful row across the Atlantic and realised that if he wanted to be the first person to row solo across the Atlantic he would have to do it soon.After returning to England it took Fairfax two years to prepare for the row.On 19 July 1969 he became the first person to row solo across an ocean when he arrived in Florida having set off from the Canary Islands.