The Dreamboats

Charleston-based entrepreneur and restaurateur, Ben Towill, and Vegan Chef, Charlie Layton have just completed what is known as one of the world's toughest rows - the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge - a 3,000-mile race across the Atlantic Ocean. They crossed the finish line in Antigua late Saturday afternoon (1/21) after 40 days on the Atlantic Ocean (their official time on the water was 40 days, 8 hours, and 59 minutes). The boys were also the first pair to finish in this year's race.

Known around town as "The Dreamboats," Ben and Charlie began training for this journey over two years ago. On December 12th of 2022, they packed up their boat (also known as Polly Anne, named after combining their grandmother's first names) and left the docks of La Gomera, Canary Islands. Race participants are prepared to experience at least one of the following: 40-foot seas, a snapped Rudder (the primary control needed to steer a boat), capsizing, or encounters with large sea animals. Over the course of the six weeks, Ben and Charlie somehow managed to experience all of these obstacles. 

For some background, Ben is the founder of Basic Projects - a hospitality and design firm in Charleston, SC that owns and operates three restaurants and a hotel in town. Charlie is the head chef at one of the restaurants, Basic Kitchen - a veggie forward hotspot serving clean, healthy food (think wild-caught local fish, grain bowls, and fresh juices). To support their journey, Charlie and Ben have raised over $100K for @greenheartchs, a local non-profit dedicated to building state of the art teaching gardens in public schools across Charleston.