16 January 2008

Stockbroker Leven Brown is on course to break the world record for crossing the Atlantic in a rowing boat, his principal sponsor Brewin Dolphin announced today.. If Scotsman Leven, 31, lands in Port St Charles, Barbados by Saturday, January 19, he and his fourteen-strong crew will shatter a record which has stood for fifteen years – and he could land as soon as Wednesday 16^th January.

“This is an extremely exciting adventure,” said Jamie Matheson, Executive Chairman of Brewin Dolphin, Leven’s ex-employers and main sponsors. “People in Leven’s old office in Edinburgh and across the company, have been glued to their computer screens tracking his progress. We’re proud to be associated with this groundbreaking attempt and glad that the money raised is going to such good causes. I am happy too that so far in this crossing Leven has not had any nasty encounters with whales and sharks, like last time!”

The team are racing an American crew to the record. As of January 6 Leven’s boat was nearly 300 miles ahead. Sponsorship raised by the crew will go to a variety of charities including Save the Albatross and the Cuttysark. Leven first crossed the Atlantic Ocean solo in 2005, rowing from Cadiz to Trinidad & Tobago in a 23 ft boat. A descendent of the explorer Christopher Columbus, christened ‘El Loco’ by Spanish fisherman, Leven couldn’t resist the lure of the Atlantic. This year he has put together a crew of fourteen, who set out on 15 th December to beat the 35-day record set in 1992 by a French crew.

For more details of the record attempt, log on to www.oceanrowevents.com

Notes to editors

Please contact Yvette Brown (Mrs Leven Brown) +44 7802 525 727

For more details, contact Damian Kerr, Brewin Dolphin, damian.kerr@brewin.co.uk

Brewin Dolphin Limited (“BD”) is the principal operating company of Brewin Dolphin Holdings PLC which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. BD is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority and is a member of the London Stock Exchange. BD is the largest independent private client investment manager in the UK.

The Group manages £21.6 billion of funds for over 120,000 clients, and of this £10.7 billion is on a discretionary basis. BD has 39 offices and is corporate adviser to 131 corporate and 100 institutional clients. Brewin Dolphin Investment Banking was voted AIM Broker of the Year 2007 ¹.

The Group provides complete investment management for private investors, charities and pension funds and trades as:
Brewin Dolphin in England, Wales and the Channel Islands
Bell Lawrie in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Stocktrade is the BD Execution-Only division. www.stocktrade.co.uk

Please see Media Centre section on www.brewindolphin.co.uk for details and photos of all commentators and analysts throughout the BD Group.

Since rowing the Atlantic alone in 2005, Leven Brown spends most of his time as an expedition leader.

1. Brewin Dolphin Investment Banking was voted Broker of the Year 2007 at the Investors Chronicle AIM Investment Awards, in association with the FT