Worlds toughest row. Atlandic Edition.

capnsensible

capnsensible

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This annual event has become quite a spectacle on the nautical calender.

worldstoughestrow.com – The World’s Toughest Row

The start has been bought forward by a day due to a weather front approaching the Canaries. It will be LIVe on youtube at 1100 GMT.

Our friend Dawn is competing again this year, team Row Aurora so we will be following the fleets progress on the Yellowbrick free app. I've sailed across the Atlantic a good few times now....that's a bit of an adventure, but rowing? Bonkers! :)

We happened to be in La Gomera for one of the earlier races when it was the Talisker Challenge and spent a lively evening with some of the rowers the night before their departure in the now very adopted Blue Marlin bar in San Sebastian, so have fo.lowed it ever since.

So good luck Dawn and her shipmate, plus all the other contestants. Fair winds.
 
A little bit about Dawn:

Dawn Smith is an internationally recognised ocean rower, expedition leader, and Yachtmaster Examiner with over 21 years of experience as a commercial mariner. She holds the world record for the most ocean rowing crossings completed by a female, having successfully completed five ocean crossings—four Atlantic and one Pacific—plus extensive coastal rowing around Scotland and the east coast of England. She is also a British Empire Medal (BEM) recipient for her contributions to adventure and maritime training.

Dawn’s extensive career includes:

  • World Record Holder – The most ocean rowing crossings completed by a female.
  • Five Ocean Crossings – Four Atlantic and one Pacific, solo and as part of a team.
  • Solo Atlantic Crossing (2019) – One of only a handful of women to complete this challenge.
  • Pacific Ocean Trio (2023) – Breaking records with an all-female team from Monterey to Hawaii.
  • Multiple Atlantic Expeditions – Co-skipper and skipper roles in large crew expeditions.
  • Former Police Marine Skipper – The first female police boat skipper in her force, also serving as a firearms officer, tactical medical trainer, and national marine tactical advisor.
  • Navigation & Survival Expert – A specialist in celestial navigation, IRPCS regulations, and offshore survival.
Through Aurora Sea School, Dawn is committed to empowering individuals to take on their own ocean adventures—whether through training, coaching, or hands-on expedition preparation.

On completion of the Atlantic Challenge, she and her rowing partner will be then making a passage to Florida. The boat will be lifted there and shipped up to the North East US coast. At a suitable time, they are gonna row back to England.....
 
Respect for anyone that does long distance rowing (or even sailing). It's easy to downplay the commitment and effort required, the mental resilience and fortitude to sail for weeks on end. Of course rowing is all that in spades and more.

I always find these things inspirational, as I have receded in my older years, become less adventurous and significantly more timid.

Good luck to Dawn Smith, although luck will have little to do with her success.
 
RunAgroundHard said:
Respect for anyone that does long distance rowing (or even sailing). It's easy to downplay the commitment and effort required, the mental resilience and fortitude to sail for weeks on end. Of course rowing is all that in spades and more.

I always find these things inspirational, as I have receded in my older years, become less adventurous and significantly more timid.

Good luck to Dawn Smith, although luck will have little to do with her success.
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To misquote Ginger Rogers, rowers do everything sailors do, only backwards and in lycra.
 
Respect to Captains mate Dawn.

I’ve read only two accounts of this endurance rowing. Blythe and Ridgeway early pioneers who fell out with each other a bit along the way!

And much more recently a team of ex servicemen missing limbs who succeeded - and used to wind each other up describing in forensic detail the ingredients of all the favourite meals they were not having, whilst rowing!

In a different league

Hope it’s a good passage this year
 
I can’t imagine how people get into this, and the women who recently did the Pacific amazed me.

I am curious (and this seems a likely forum for an answer), does anyone know how much faster they go than a drift with the wind and tide?

Not even sure I could manage a week in those boats in port 😂
 
My guess....and it very much is.....around 2 to 3 knots average speed depending on crew size? The boats seem to have matured into a very similar design for the purpose.

There are people amongst us that have the spirit of adventure in them, that may well be the motivation for entering extreme events.
 
lustyd said:
I am curious (and this seems a likely forum for an answer), does anyone know how much faster they go than a drift with the wind and tide?
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I remember the first Woodvale Race that arrived in Barbados in 1997 was won by a large margin in 41 days by a New Zealand team who had their boat with the bare essentials only, and as they said, they 'never stopped rowing', each lad rowing for 12 hours a day singlehandedly.
Atlantic Rowing Race - Wikipedia
 
I know someone who did it a couple of years ago in a pair. I think they pretty much came last in 70 odd days.
Part of their issue was that they had a bad time in some rough weather early on and after that they stop rowing and put the sea anchor out at the first sign of trouble.

Even if you enjoy the rowing it's also a tremendously expensive business. 25k just to enter plus depreciation, shipping the boat back etc.
 
RobbieW said:
I went to a lunch and talk at a local YC last friday. One of the members rowed across in '21 and was the team lead for Elijahs Star. He's previously run in the Marathon des Sables and has now bought a mini transat which he plans to use next year. All in, a nutter :)
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It has occurred to me that 'a nutter but an inspiring one' is a more fitting description :)
 
Their youtube channel has interviews with all the teams and lots more.

There is some 'why we do it' stuff that I found interesting.

Good luck all teams!
 
capnsensible said:
There is hope yet for forum people. The oldest couple, 63 and 66 have just left. Start your fitness training now! :)
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Yeah...about that. When my friend did it a couple of years ago there was a 60 something entrant who dropped dead half way across. It rather ruined his three team mates enthusiasm for the whole thing and they got lifted off by a container ship. Can't remember what happened to the boat.
 
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