A race across the Atlantic in our own little Shelterbox We chose Shelterbox because we knew the money would go to something tangible - in this case a box that contains a tent, blankets, water filtration equipment, a stove and other vital items that a family would need to survive in the aftermath of a disaster. We'd first heard about the great work that they had done in assisting displaced families during the floods in Pakistan and the Haiti earthquake of 2010. The similarity between us living in our own small Shelterbox out on the Atlantic, with all that we needed to survive contained on board, also appealed. We named the boat in recognition of the charity and for the fact that people could track our progress across the Atlantic via the race website in the same way donors can track their donations to specific Shelterboxes (donors can find out when and where the box their donation has contributed to has been sent). We chose the race number "eight" as it is an auspicious number here in Singapore where I am now working. So far we have raised more than £54,000 - or put another way, all the donations made to date have contributed to 129 boxes, of which 100 have now been deployed to families in countries such as Nigeria, Guatemala and the Philippines. We were delighted to discover that the Telegraph had chosen Shelterbox as one of its 2012 Christmas Appeal charities. If ever a cause deserved to have its profile raised it is this one, and the next time a disaster strikes many more people will now know about the vital role the Shelterbox team plays in assisting displaced families. At the end of the race we both reflected on which was our worst day at sea and agreed that it had to be December 25 - and not because instead of tucking into turkey and mince pies, we were on the seat rowing or diving into another pack of freeze-dried food rations, tending to our salt sores and various aches or trying to sleep in our constantly pitching and rolling boat. But on that particular morning the weather turned against us, and we found ourselves rowing into a strong headwind and endless rain. The best we could do was to keep rowing - at the time we were vying for the race lead so were desperate not to lose ground. By mid morning, after four hours of managing no more than 0.3 knots and raging at the injustice of the wind and waves, we both decided that Christmas wouldn't be celebrated on the boat. Fast forward to Christmas Day 2012, where I found myself on a beach near Perth, Australia, enjoying a fry up in the blazing sunshine. But the memories of our Atlantic adventure still remain fresh in the memory. It was about so much more than 40 days out on the ocean. It was the culmination of two years of intensive planning, preparation and physical training which we'd somehow fitted in alongside doing our day jobs. During most of 2011, I would be in the gym three times a week to build up the strength and muscle endurance that we'd need to row our heavy boat (with all the supplies and equipment it weighed more than 1,000kg), then spend 90 to 120 minutes on each of the other three evenings of the week training on a rowing machine to build cardio fitness. One of the positives was that, knowing we'd lose weight during our crossing (we shed 15kg) we could eat what we liked in the run up to the race, and used to joke that we were probably the only two forty-plus guys on the planet actually looking to put on weight. The resulting publicity from our success in the race resulted in a number of significant donations from individuals and companies. It gave Shelterbox not only a big push in funding more of the much-needed boxes, but also in an increased awareness of the work the charity does. We are really pleased that the Telegraph, through its Christmas Appeal, is further promoting that work around the world. If the next time flood, earthquake or storm damage is making headlines then, with luck, more people will think of Shelterbox and possibly even make a donation. If so, our efforts in crossing the Atlantic will have proved truly worthwhile. You can find out more about Nick and Toby's race-winning adventure on their boat BOXnumber8 at boxnumber8.com Shelterbox is one of three charities supported by the Telegraph Christmas Appeal 2012.