Strong winds pushing Atlantic rowers to their limits

Each year in the first weeks of December the island of La Gomera, just off the coast of Africa, welcomes a group of hardy – some may say crazy – rowers, preparing for the challenge of their lives.

This year, 98 rowers representing 11 nations are taking part in the ‘World’s Toughest Row’. The fleet pushed off from La Gomera on 13 December, aiming for landfall in Antigua, almost 3,000 nautical miles across the Atlantic Ocean. The biggest category is the fours, with 12 boats entered; 11 rowers are racing solo.

The fleet of 38 boats are now well on their way westwards across the Atlantic. In the lead is ‘HMS Oardacious’ from the UK. The five Royal Navy submariners are following in the puddles left by fellow servicemen in two previous Atlantic races, and they have already become the first team this year to row 100 nautical miles (185km) in 24 hours.

HMS Oardacious’s expected time of arrival in Antigua was initially hovering tantalisingly close to the world record of 29 days, 15 hours, which was set in 2017/18 by a four-man crew from the UK, but they are now on track for a crossing of around 37 days.

Conditions were initially challenging, with strong winds causing big seas. Several crews reported serious seasickness in the first few days, but conditions became more manageable as the fleet headed west.

Crews have reported some incredible sights in the first week, sharing videos of dolphins, whales and bioluminescence – where the water glows an eerie blue – and telling tales of near-misses by cargo ships and visits by flying fish. Julie Brady, of the four-woman crew ‘Intrepid232’ was even stung by a bee an hour into the row.

The competitors in the World’s Toughest Row are all driven by different aims, but many are looking to push themselves beyond the limits while raising awareness of the charity cause they are racing for.

The charities supported by the Atlantic rowers this year are diverse, but two themes in particular stand out. A number of crews are raising money for environmental awareness and conservation, while another favoured cause is enabling social mobility through sport. One of the supported charities in the latter category is London Youth Rowing, which works with around 10,000 young people from diverse backgrounds across London each year and is championed in the World’s Toughest Row by three-woman crew ‘The Tidewaves’.

The Tidewaves – who met while rowing for the University of London Boat Club – are among a number of crews made up of experienced rowers. Intrepid232 is another such crew, with the four women all members of Jersey Rowing Club, while the three women in ‘Team Excelsioar’ row together at Eton Excelsior near Windsor in the UJ. Matt Bladen and George Farmiloe of the ‘Worcester Buoys’ met when they rowed together at school.

Other crews contain a mixture of experienced rowers and newcomers to the sport. While most are friends, or have come together purely for the challenge, the fleet does contain some boats formed of family members – including husband-and-wife duo Mark and Dani Jones, rowing as ‘For Better Oar Worse’, and Irish brothers Andrew and Eamon Breen in ‘Atlantic Bro-ing’.

The race can be followed live on the official website [https://www.worldstoughestrow.com/] with each boat sending a position update every four hours, while each crew’s friends and family keep followers up to date on social media. Currently, the first crews are expected to land in Antigua in mid-January.

EDITOR’S NOTE – The World’s Toughest Row reported today, Friday 5 January, the news of the death of Alisdair Putt – Skipper of the four-person team, Aussie Old Salts. World Rowing addresses their most sincere condolences to the families, friends and supporters of the Putt family, and the whole of the Aussie Old Salts team.

CREDIT PHOTOS / WORLD’S TOUGHEST ROW