Atlantic Rowing Race

Ocean rowing race

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The Atlantic Rowing Race is an ocean rowing race from the Canary Islands to the West Indies, a distance of approximately 2,550 nm (2,930 statute miles or 4,700 km). The race was founded in 1997 by Sir Chay Blyth with subsequent races roughly every two years since.[1] The early races were run by Challenge Business Ltd. until the race was bought by Woodvale Events Ltd., managed by Simon Chalk, in October 2003.[2] In May 2012, Atlantic Campaigns SL, managed by Carsten Heron Olsen bought the rights to the Atlantic Rowing Race, now called The "Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge" – The World's Toughest Row.[3][4] Since 2015, the race has been held annually starting each December.

## 1997 – Port St. Charles Rowing Race

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* Departure Port: Playa San Juan, Tenerife
* Arrival Port: Port St. Charles, Barbados
* Race Start: 12 October 1997
* Teams Starting: 30
* Teams Finishing: 24
* Categories: Pairs
* Winning Boat: Kiwi Challenge[5][6]
* Team Name: Kiwi Challenge
* Country:  New Zealand
* Rowers: Rob Hamill and Phil Stubbs
* Time: 41 days, 2 hours, and 55 minutes

## 2001 – Ward Evans Atlantic Rowing Race

[edit]

* Departure Port: Playa San Juan, Tenerife
* Arrival Port: Port St. Charles, Barbados
* Race Start: 7 October 2001
* Teams Starting: 36
* Teams Finishing: 33
* Categories: Pairs
* Winning Boat: Telecom Challenge 1[7]
* Team Name: Telecom Challenge 1
* Country:  New Zealand
* Rowers: Matt Goodman and Steve Westlake
* Time: 42 days, 4 hours, and 3 minutes

## 2003 – Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race

[edit]

[8]

* Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera
* Arrival Port: Port St. Charles, Barbados
* Race Start: 19 October 2003
* Teams Starting: 17
* Teams Finishing: 14
* Categories: Singles, Pairs
* Winning Boat:
* Team Name: Holiday Shoppe Challenge[9]
* Country:  New Zealand
* Rowers: James Fitzgerald and Kevin Biggar
* Time: 40 days, 4 hours, and 3 minutes[10]

## 2004 – Ocean Rowing Society Atlantic Rowing Regatta

[edit]

[11]

* Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera
* Arrival Port: English Harbour, Antigua
* Race Start: 20 January 2004
* Teams Starting: 13
* Teams Finishing: 12
* Categories: Singles, Pairs, 1x Four
* Winning Boat:
* Team Name: Atlantic-4
* Country:  United Kingdom
* Rowers: David Martin, Neil Wightwick, Glynn Coupland, and George Simpson
* Time: 49 days, 14 hours, 21 minutes

## 2005 – Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race

[edit]

[11]

* Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera
* Arrival Port: English Harbour, Antigua
* Race Start: 30 November 2005
* Teams Starting: 27
* Teams Finishing: 20
* Categories: Singles, Pairs, Fours
* Winning Boat:
* Team Name: C2
* Country:  United Kingdom
* Rowers: Clint Evans and Chris Andrews
* Time: 52 days, 2 hours, 10 minutes

For more race details, see: 2005 Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race

## 2007 – Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race

[edit]

[12]

* Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera
* Arrival Port: English Harbour, Antigua
* Race Start: 2 December 2007
* Teams Starting: 22
* Teams Finishing: 20
* Categories: Singles, Pairs, Fours
* Winning Boat:
* Team Name: Pure Vida
* Country:  United Kingdom
* Rowers: John Cecil-Wright, Robbie Grant, Tom Harvey, and Carl Theakston
* Time: 48 Days, 2 hours, 52 minutes

For more race details, see: 2007 Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race

## 2009/2010 – Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race

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[13]

* Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera
* Arrival Port: Antigua
* Race Start: 4 January 2010 (Race delayed by a month)
* Teams Starting: 7 Solos, 20 Pairs, 3 Fours, 1 team of 12[14]
* Teams Finishing: 20
* Categories: Singles, Pairs, Fours
* Winning Boat: JJ (Insure & Go)
* Team Name: Charlie Pitcher
* Country:  United Kingdom
* Rowers: Charlie Pitcher
* Time: 52 days 6 hours and 47 minutes

## 2011 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge

[edit]

[13]

* Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera
* Arrival Port: Port St. Charles, Barbados
* Race Start: 5 December 2011
* Teams Starting: 17
* Teams Finishing: 11
* Categories: Singles, Doubles, Fours, Fives, and Sixes
* Winning Boat: Box No 8
* Team Name: Box No 8
* Country:  United Kingdom
* Rowers: Toby Iles and Nick Moore
* Time: 40 days, 9 hours, 15 minutes

## 2013 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge

[edit]

[15]

* Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera[16]
* Arrival Port: Antigua
* Race Start: 4 December 2013
* Teams Starting: 17
* Teams Finishing: 11
* Categories: Singles, Doubles, Trios, Fours, Fives
* Winning Boat: Locura[17]
* Team Name: Team Locura
* Country:  United Kingdom
* Rowers: Tom Salt and Mike Burton
* Time: 40 days, 2 hours, 38 minutes, 54 seconds[18]

## 2015 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge

[edit]

[19]

* Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera
* Arrival Port: Antigua
* Race Start: 20 December 2015
* Teams Starting: 26
* Teams Finishing: 26
* Categories: Singles, Doubles, Trios, Fours
* Winning Boat: Ocean Reunion
* Team Name: Ocean Reunion
* Country:  United Kingdom
* Rowers: Angus Collins, Gus Barton, Joe Barnett, Jack Mayhew
* Time: 37 days, 9 hours, 12 minutes

## 2016 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge

[edit]

[19]

* Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera
* Arrival Port: Antigua
* Race Start: 14 December 2016
* Teams Starting: 12
* Teams Finishing: 11
* Categories: Singles, Doubles, Trios, Fours
* Winning Boat: American Spirit
* Team Name: Latitude 35
* Country: Mixed ( United States and  United Kingdom)
* Rowers: Jason Caldwell (USA), Matthew Brown (USA), Angus Collins (UK), Alex Simpson (UK)
* Time: 35 days, 14 hours, 3 minutes (New Race Record)

## 2017 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge

[edit]

[20] [21]

* Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera
* Arrival Port: English Harbour, Antigua
* Race Start: 14 December 2017
* Teams Starting: 26
* Teams Finishing: 22
* Categories: Singles, Doubles, Trios, Fours
* Winning Boat: Aegir
* Team Name: The Four Oarsmen
* Country:  United Kingdom
* Rowers: George Biggar, Peter Robinson, Stuart Watts, Richard Taylor
* Time: 29 days, 14 hours, 34 minutes (New Race Record)

## 2018 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge

[edit]

[20] [22] [23] [24]

* Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera
* Arrival Port: English Harbour, Antigua
* Race Start: 12 December 2018
* Teams Starting: 28
* Teams Finishing:  27
* Categories: Singles, Doubles, Trios, Fours, Fives
* Winning Boat: Rose
* Team Name: Dutch Atlantic Four
* Country:  Netherlands
* Rowers: Marcel Ates, Erik Koning, David de Bruijn, Bart Adema
* Time: 34 days, 12 hours, 9 minutes

## 2019 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge

[edit]

[20] [25] [26]

* Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera
* Arrival Port: English Harbour, Antigua
* Race Start: 12 December 2019
* Teams Starting: 35
* Teams Finishing: 35
* Categories: Singles, Doubles, Trios, Fours, Fives
* Winning Boat:
* Team Name: Fortitude IV
* Country:  United Kingdom
* Rowers: Oliver Palmer, Tom Foley, Hugh Gilum, Max Breet
* Time: 32 days, 12 hours, 35 minutes, 2 seconds 2019 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge
* Diversity: In 2019 the first Black team and the first Caribbean team completed the challenge. The team was composed of Christal Clashing, Samara Emmanuel, Kevinia Francis and Elvira Bell-Bailey. Three of the team, named Antigua Island Girls, went on to compete in and finish the 2023 inaugural World's Toughest Row-Pacific,[27][28] using the funds raised to establish a home for girls in conflict with the law.[29][30]

## 2021 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge

[edit]

[26]

* Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera
* Arrival Port: English Harbour, Antigua
* Race Start: 12 December 2021
* Teams Starting: 36
* Teams Finishing: 35
* Categories: Singles, Doubles, Trios, Fours, Fives
* Winning Boat:
* Team Name: SWISS RAW
* Country:  Switzerland
* Rowers: Roman Moeckli, Ingvar Groza, Samuel Widmer, Jan Hurni
* Time: 34 days, 23 hours, 42 minutes 2021 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge

## Current Race Records

[edit]

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Ocean rowing records for The Atlantic Rowing Race are maintained by Ocean Rowing Stats.[31][32]

Category  | Race Year  | Time  | Rowers  | Team  | Special Note

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|
|
|
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Traditional Single  | 2015  | 52 days, 3 hr, 26 min  | Matteo Perucchini  | Sogno Atlantico  |
Traditional Double  | 2003  | 40 days, 4 hr, 3 min  | James Fitzgerald

Kevin Biggar

| Holiday Shoppe Challenge  |
Traditional Trio  | 2016  | 51 days, 1 hr, 13 min  | Stuart Connacher

Charl Gale

Wayne Johnson

| Facing It  |
Traditional Four  |  |  |  |  |
Concept Single  | 2016  | 49 days, 11 hr, 37 min  | Gavan Hennigan  | Soulogav  |
Concept Double  | 2019  | 37 days, 7 hr, 54 min  | Dave Spelman

Max Thorpe

| Resilient:X  | Guinness World Record for

the fastest row across the

Atlantic E-W by a team of Two

Concept Trio  | 12 Dec 2022 - 16 Jan 2023  | 35 days, 2 hr, 33 min  | Gareth Keighley

Charles Taylor

Aaron Kneebone

| Dark Trio
Concept Four  | 2017  | 29 days, 14 hr, 34 min  | Peter Robinson

Stuart Watts

George Biggar

Richard Taylor

| The Four Oarsmen  | Guinness World Record for

the fastest row across the

Atlantic E-W by a team of Four

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Transatlantic rowing race | Chay Blyth". chayblyth.com. 17 April 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
2. ^ "Challenge Business sell rowing races – Yachting World". Yachting World. 4 November 2003. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
3. ^ "Atlantic Campaigns | Atlantic Rowing | Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge | Atlantic Rowing Race". atlanticcampaigns.com. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
4. ^ "Atlantic Row | Greg Maud | The History". Greg Maud | Adventurer. Archived from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
5. ^ "Race Results and Highlights". oceanrowing.com. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
6. ^ "Regatta Online – Atlantic Challenge". regatta.rowing.org.uk. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
7. ^ "Ocean rowing Society Archive – Current News and Past Endeavours". oceanrowing.com. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
8. ^ "Ocean rowing statistics". oceanrowing.com. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
9. ^ "Ocean Rowing Society – 2003 List of Race Entrants".
10. ^ "Holliday Shoppe Challenge set a new record!!!". oceanrowing.com. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
11. ^ a b "Ocean Rows 199 through 205". oceanrowing.com. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
12. ^ "Statistics of Ocean Rows". oceanrowing.com. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
13. ^ a b "Statistics of rows across oceans". oceanrowing.com. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
14. ^ Entrants in the Atlantic Rowing Race 2009 Archived 11 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 5 April 2010
15. ^ "Statistics2010_12". oceanrowing.com. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
16. ^ "Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge 2013/2014 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge". Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge. 21 November 2016. Archived from the original on 21 February 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
17. ^ "Race Entrants | Atlantic Campaigns". atlanticcampaigns.com. Archived from the original on 21 February 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
18. ^ "Londoner wins 'world's toughest' race". Evening Standard. London. 14 January 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
19. ^ a b "Oceanrowing". oceanrowing.com. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
20. ^ a b c "Compiled by Oceanrowing". oceanrowing.com. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
21. ^ https://www.taliskerwhiskyatlanticchallenge.com/race-report-2017/s/ 2017 race report Retrieved 23 March 2022
22. ^ https://www.taliskerwhiskyatlanticchallenge.com/2018-race-entrants/ Archived 27 January 2020 at the Wayback Machine 2018 race entrants Retrieved 26 January 2020
23. ^ https://www.taliskerwhiskyatlanticchallenge.com/2018-leaderboard/ Archived 28 January 2020 at the Wayback Machine 2018 leaderboard Retrieved 26 January 2020
24. ^ https://www.taliskerwhiskyatlanticchallenge.com/2018-race-summary/ 2018 race summary Retrieved 26 January 2020
25. ^ https://www.taliskerwhiskyatlanticchallenge.com/2019-race-entrants/ Archived 6 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine 2019 race entrants Retrieved 26 January 2020
26. ^ a b https://www.taliskerwhiskyatlanticchallenge.com/2019-race-tracking/ Archived 28 January 2020 at the Wayback Machine 2019 race tracking Retrieved 26 January 2020
27. ^ "World's Toughest Row – Pacific – worldstoughestrow.com". Retrieved 4 September 2023.
28. ^ Staff Writer (9 August 2023). "Team Antigua Island Girls conquer the Pacific". Voice Online. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
29. ^ Hinds, Rodney (September 2023). "Tough as they come". The Voice. p. 47.
30. ^ Noel, Melissa (26 January 2022). "Team Antigua Island Girls will hit the seas again for new challenge". TheGrio. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
31. ^ "Atlantic Campaigns Partners | Atlantic Campaigns Ocean Rowing Race". atlanticcampaigns.com. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
32. ^ "2015 Leaderboard | Atlantic Campaigns Ocean Rowing Race". atlanticcampaigns.com. Retrieved 8 March 2017.

## External links

[edit]

* Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge 2015
* Ocean Rowing Stats
* Atlantic Rowing Race 2009
* Atlantic Rowing Race 2005
* Woodvale Events
* Association of Ocean Rowers
* Ocean Rowing Society International
* BBC report of the 2005 start
* BBC report – Champagne for Beer Rowers

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Atlantic Rowing Race.