THE Atlantic CHALLENGE
The premier event in ocean rowing – a challenge that will take us more than 3000 miles from San Sebastian in La Gomera, Canary Islands, Spain to Nelson’s Dockyard, Antigua & Barbuda. The annual Atlantic challenge begins in early December, and up to 40 teams from all walks of life participate. The race organisers create an environment where teams from all over the world meet in the race village of San Sebastian in La Gomera helping each other prepare for the challenge of a lifetime. Everyone has the same objective: crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a rowing boat.
Teams battle with sleep deprivation, salt sores, and physical extremes inflicted by the race. Rowers are left with their own thoughts, an expanse of the ocean and the job of getting the boat safely to the other side.
The race offers different experiences to all involved. It forms strong friendships and competitiveness gives way to the camaraderie that is required to complete the challenge. The mental and physical endurance will result in a life-changing achievement, that will never be forgotten.
Race
Distance: 4800 km across the Atlantic Ocean
Race start: 12.12.2023 in La Gomera, Canary Islands
Finish: Antigua in the Caribbean
Days at sea: 45-60 days (estimated)
Race organisers: Atlantic Campaigns
Safety: The race is unsupported, but two support yachts join the fleet to assist in case of an emergency.
Dot watchers: All boats are equipped with a GPS device. You can follow the progress of each team through the official race app.
Boat
Our rowing boat is specifically built for ocean crossings.
The overall length is about 7,3 metres and it’s 1,7 metres wide. It holds a sleeping cabin and another cabin for equipment and electronics. The boat is self-rightening and is equipped with a watermaker to make seawater drinkable. Solar panels and a battery power watermaker and electronic devices. A fixed GPS and other navigation tools ensure safe navigation.
Training
Our preparation is a combination of physical fitness, mental training and RYA courses.
Mandatory RYA courses include a marine radio short range certificate (SRC), first aid knowledge, sea survival training and essential navigation seamanship skills. We will learn how to make alerts and safety calls with a VHF radio, how to carry out CPR at sea and treat injuries or conditions such as hypothermia. We will familiarise ourselves with our life raft and how to execute survival techniques, how to use ocean and weather routing charts and a lot more.
We don’t have any rowing experience so one of the key points will be to make a proper rowing technique second nature. Besides spending hours upon hours on the rowing ergometer or on the rowing boat, we will spend a significant time in the gym to strengthen our posterior chain. Also, mobility training will be crucial for injury prevention.
To maintain effective communication and co-living on our tiny vessel for up to 60 days we will be taking mental coaching and do a lot of team building.
Equipment
Our boat will be equipped with plenty of food rations, navigation & communication gadgets and safety equipment.
Our boat kit includes a liferaft, an emergency grab bag that holds safety equipment such as EPIRB, handheld flares and more, life jackets, safety harnesses, on-deck EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon), PLBs (Personal Locator Beacons), race tracking beacons, flares, fire extinguisher, medical kit, daylight signalling mirror, AIS (Automatic Identification System), satellite phones, VHF radio units, GPS units, electric and manual watermakers, navigation lights, batteries, solar panels, emergency water, hand and foot steering system, autohelm steering system, spare oars, fixed and handheld manual operation bilge pumps, compass, ventilator, gas cooker, buckets (aka toilet), para-anchor, drogue, tool kit and musical entertainment.
Before & After
We are expecting up to 60 days of:
Seasickness
Sunstroke
30 Metre Waves
Unbearable Heat
Storms
Total Darkness
Incredible Nature
Endless Starry Skies
Relentless Rowing
Sleep Deprivation
Hallucinations
Boredom
Unique Sunsets
Sharks
Marlin Attacks
10.000 Calories a Day
10 Litres of Water a Day
Unforgettable Sunrises
Pure Nature
Complete Isolation
“Rowing was the easy part.” – Johnny Ward
History
Let’s talk about German ocean rowers.
The first German team to try row across an ocean was team Wabun in 1997. They needed to abandon their attempt. The first successful German ocean crossing in a rowing boat was in 2007. Peter Raab and Tim Wilks (team Martha Dos) rowed from Tenerife to Antigua in 59 days and 3 hours.
Until now there have been 9 German teams that have taken on the challenge. 5 teams were successful, 4 teams had to be rescued at sea.
Successful German teams:
Martha Dos, 2007
Janice Jakeit, 2011
Heroes Of The Sea, 2019
Swiss Ocean Dancers, 2019
RowHHome, 2019.
