{"id":97479,"date":"2024-07-25T15:00:36","date_gmt":"2024-07-25T15:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/?p=97479"},"modified":"2024-07-25T15:00:36","modified_gmt":"2024-07-25T15:00:36","slug":"ocean-rowing-roundup-for-july-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/ocean-rowing-roundup-for-july-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Ocean Rowing Roundup for July"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since our last ocean rowing roundup<\/a>, all but one crew have finished The World\u2019s Toughest Row. In addition, one party has abandoned its circumnavigation of Britain, and another is gearing up to complete a row of the Northwest Passage that they started last year.<\/p>\n

Pacific Ocean <\/strong><\/h2>\n

World\u2019s Toughest Row: <\/strong>The World’s Toughest Row race began on June 8. Nine teams set off from Monterey, California to cross the mid-Pacific to Hanalei Bay, Hawaii. This year saw the highest number of female crews, seven of the initial nine. And despite pretty horrendous conditions, the women have been smashing speed records all over the place.<\/p>\n

The conditions throughout the row have frustrated everyone, with many teams pushed off course by unexpected bad weather. The first few weeks had winds of over 30 knots and waves nearly 10 meters high. One crew pulled out after four days because of severe seasickness, and one member was even airlifted from the boat.<\/p>\n

Every boat suffered multiple knockdowns, and most suffered several capsizes, leaving rowers with bruises and broken equipment. AIS and automatic steering failures meant that some crews had to steer manually and missed collisions by inches. Everything on the boats, including sleeping bags, was always soaking wet, making for quite a miserable time.<\/p>\n

\"Pacific

Pacific Triow. Photo: The World’s Toughest Row<\/p><\/div>\n

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So far, seven of the eight crews have crossed the finish line. The\u00a0race winners were the four-man crew, the\u00a0Salty Sappers<\/em>. All engineers in the British Army \u2014 sappers<\/em> is military slang for “engineers” \u2014 Major Adam Siggs, Captain Joshua Warne, Lance Corporal Richard Wilkinson,<\/span>\u00a0and Corporal Adam Sedgwick made it to Hanalei Bay in 36 days, 6 hours, and 49 minutes. After winning, they said that they would “live off the high for months.”<\/p>\n

This means that British military crews have won both of the World’s Toughest Row races this year. In January, HMS Oardacious<\/em>, made up of members of the Royal Navy, won the Atlantic version.<\/p>\n

Two all-female crews broke speed records during the row. Both previously completed the Atlantic race, where they also broke records.<\/p>\n

Wild Waves<\/em> became the fastest women’s pair to cross the mid-Pacific, beating the previous record by a staggering nine days. Hilariously, when they first turned up for the Atlantic row years ago, they were one of the least experienced crews. They were also so drunk the day before starting they were almost banned from competing.<\/p>\n

Yet in the end, they won the race by five days, beating 35 other crews. This time, they took it more seriously and said it was a much harder race.<\/p>\n

“It was absolutely grueling, both [mentally and physically],” they said on the podium. “The hardest thing we have ever done. We gave it everything and are completely broken. But it was worth it.”<\/p>\n

A day later, another women’s team, Pacific Triow<\/em>, broke both the women’s and men’s speed records by 15 hours for a trio crossing the mid-Pacific. Their boat capsized three times, and their first two auto-helms melted because of the heat.<\/p>\n

“The thought of the last remaining auto-helm breaking was a real worry,” Charlotte Irving told The Telegraph.<\/em> “We had this constant level of anxiety that it would. The conditions were brutal, there were many tears….We had to be really resilient…but our goal was to break the world record, and we did that.”<\/p>\n

Rumor has it that the two record-breaking female crews are now planning to team up and take on the Indian Ocean.<\/p>\n

The leaderboard<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

Overall Winners: Salty Sappers<\/em> (Four) \u2013 36 days, 6 hours, and 49 minutes.<\/p>\n

2nd: Wild Waves<\/em> (Pair) \u2013 37 days, 11 hours, and 43 minutes (speed record: Fastest women\u2019s pair to cross the Mid-Pacific).<\/p>\n

3rd: Liz and Lena<\/em> (Pair) \u2013 37 days, 16 hours, and 33 minutes.<\/p>\n

4th: Pacific Triow<\/em> (Trio)\u2013 38 days, 1 hour, and 34 minutes (speed record: Fastest trio to cross the Mid-Pacific).<\/p>\n

5th: Full Foarce<\/em> (Four) \u2013 38 days, 9 hours, and 3 minutes.<\/p>\n

6th: Hericane Rowing<\/em> (Four) – 40 days, 22 hours, and 14 minutes<\/p>\n

7th: Human Powered Potential<\/em> (Four) – 41 days 1 hour, and 57 minutes<\/p>\n

Ocean Revival: <\/strong>Ocean Revival’s current crew comprises Matt Mason, Will Scott, Mike Donovan, and Stephen McHugh. They are attempting to row across the Mid-Pacific from San Francisco to Hawaii.<\/p>\n

The four started rowing on June 20. Kayaker Cyril Derreumaux<\/a> ceremonially accompanied them as they set off.<\/p>\n

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