Atlantic Challenge

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The Atlantic Challenge is a rowing competition across the Atlantic . The transatlantic regatta took place from 1997 to 2011 under the name Atlantic Rowing Race .

General

Atlantic Challenge (North Atlantic)
Atlantic
San Sebastian de La Gomera
San Sebastian de La Gomera
Nelson's Dockyard, Antigua
Nelson's Dockyard, Antigua
Start and destination port 2019, direction of travel from La Gomera to Antigua

The race, which has been held annually since 2015, starts in December. The route leads from the Canary Islands along the barefoot route to the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean . The port of departure was on Tenerife in 1997 and 2001 . It has been San Sebastián de La Gomera since 2003 . The port of destination was initially Barbados , since 2004 Antigua . In 2019, the route led 2,592 nautical miles (4,800 kilometers) across the Atlantic to Nelson's Dockyard on the south coast of Antigua.

Chris Martin in the Pacific Pete boat off La Gomera , 2005

Boat classes approved for the Atlantic Challenge are small boats such as singles , doubles and threes as well as large boats such as double fours and fives. The teams row in special row boats with sleeping cabins. Except in the ones, rowing is done in shifts: alternately, for example, in the four-man team, two people row at the same time and two rest. Each team has to make about 1.5 million strokes.

In 2019, 35 boats took part in what it claims to be the “most important event in ocean rowing ”.

History of the race

Pura Vida at the start of the 2007 race

The race was founded in 1997 by Sir Chay Blyth and named "Port St. Charles, Barbados Atlantic Rowing Race" for two . In 1966, Blyth crossed the North Atlantic together with John Ridgway in a total of 92 days in an open dory and received the British Empire Medal a year later . Although only two rowers before them, Frank Samuelsen and George Harbo, had already succeeded in 1896, Blyth was convinced that if he could row across the Atlantic in a six-meter vehicle , then a well-designed and well-equipped sea ​​craft could the same applies to the classic trade wind route from the Canaries to the Caribbean. In creating the new event, it was important to him that it be accessible and affordable for ordinary people facing this extraordinary challenge.

The Blyth team then developed a new design concept for boats, drawing on ideas previously used for cars. The rowing boats were designed to be made from laser-cut panels that could be packed flat so they could be shipped anywhere. In many cases the rowing boats were assembled by themselves.

In the first race in 1997, 30 teams started from Tenerife on October 12th. Six of them were eliminated and two boats reached the destination with just one person. Rob Hamill and Phil Stubbs reached the finish in Barbados in 41 days and 3 hours.

In 2001 the event was sponsored by Ward Evans and 36 teams from twelve countries participated, 33 of which made it to the finish. This year's winners were Steve Westlake and Matt Goodman.

In 2003, Challenge Business Ltd., which had previously run the races, sold the event to Woodvale Events Ltd. The winners Kevin Biggar and James Fitzgerald set a new record with 40 days, 5 hours and 31 minutes.

In 2004 the victorious quartet from Devon, composed of Phil Langman, Shaun Barker, Jason Hart and Yorkie Lomas, improved the record to 36 days and 59 minutes.

In 2005 a team of two brothers, Justin and Robert Adkin, and their cousins ​​Martin Adkin and James Green crossed the finish line south of Cape Shirley after an 800 nautical mile tour in 39 days, 3 hours and 35 minutes.

In 2007/2008 the team "Pura Vida" of John Cecil-Wright, Robbie Grant, Tom Harvey and Carl Theakston from Great Britain won in 48 days, 2 hours and 52 minutes. James Cracknell took part in a duo with British TV presenter Ben Fogle and together they published a book about the race.

In 2009/10, the soloist Charlie Pitcher won the race after 2,548 nautical miles and a time of 52 days, 6 hours and 47 minutes.

On December 5, 2011, the race called the " Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge" started. Toby Iles and Nick Moore were the winners after 40 days and 9 hours, followed by soloist Andrew Brown, just 26 minutes behind.

In May 2012, the Spanish company Atlantic Campaigns SL bought the rights to the event and the organization team changed for the 2013 Challenge. Since then, the participants have been rowing for the benefit of a charity of their choice.

2013/2014 winners Tom Salt and Mike Burton arrived in Antigua after 42 days. On the way, a blue marlin's sword had dug into the hull of their boat.

In 2015/2016 the British team "Ocean Reunion" with Angus Collins, Gus Barton, Joe Barnett and Jack Mayhew set a new record in 37 days and 9 hours. Two all-women teams were also involved in this race, in addition to the youngest (Callum Gathercole) and the oldest (Peter Smith) person who has ever rowed on an ocean. The younger, consisting of Olivia Bolesworth, 27, Bella Collins, 23, Lauren Morton, 26, and Georgina Purdy, 23, finished second and set two Guinness Book records : as the youngest and fastest all-women team, the ever rowed on an ocean. They reached the goal through tactical routing, for example avoiding a storm, after just 40 days, 8 hours and 26 minutes. The older all- women team, Helen Butters, Frances Davies, Niki Doeg and skipper Janette Benaddi, from Yorkshire covered the route in 67 days. In the run-up, these four were the first women to successfully cross the North Sea from Southwold to Scheveningen in a rowboat during an offshore training race that took place in preparation for the Atlantic Challenge . They also set a Guinness Book record: as "the oldest all-female team that has ever rowed across an ocean". The last team of a total of 26 arrived at their destination after 80 days. Most teams finished the race between 43 and 53 days.

In 2016/2017 the US rowers Jason Caldwell, Matthew Brown, Angus Collins and Alex Simpson of the "Latitude 35" team improved the record to 35 days, 14 hours and 3 minutes. Solo rower Daryl Farmer arrived in Antigua in 96 days and 13 hours after rowing nearly 1200 miles without rudder for 40 days.

In 2017/2018 the victorious British team "The Four Oarsemen" consisting of George Biggar, Peter Robinson, Stuart Watts and Richard Taylor improved the record by almost six days with 29 days, 14 hours and 34 minutes. A total of seven teams remained below the previous best time, including the Chinese women's team "Kung Fu Cha Cha" by Amber Li, Sarah Meng, Cloris Chen and Tina Liang, which set a new women's record in 34 days, 13 hours and 13 minutes. 22 of 26 teams reached the goal.

In 2018/2019 the Dutch team "Dutch Atlantic Four" of Marcel Ates, Erik Koning, David de Bruijn and Bart Adema won in 34 days, 12 hours and 9 minutes. The fastest women's team "Row for the Ocean" by Kirsty Barker, Kate Salmon, Laura Try and Rosalind West reached the finish line in 43 days, 2 hours and 20 minutes.

On December 12, 2019, 103 participants, 88 men and 15 women from a total of ten countries started. The winners of the competition were Oliver Palmer, Tom Foley, Hugh Gilum and Max Breet. As a British team of four "Fortitude IV", they reached the finish on January 14, 2020 after 32 days, 12 hours, 35 minutes and 2 seconds and covered 2709 nautical miles. Her personal motto was: "True riches cannot be bought". Inspired by the English women, a German women's quartet started for the first time and reached the goal on January 23, 2020 after 42 days and 46 minutes. The Hamburg Catharina dispute, 33, Meike Ramuschkat, 33, Stefanie Kluge, 51, and her daughter Timna, 26, occupied the 17th place of 35 boats started and the 10th place (out of 15) in their boat class. With Wolfgang "Dewey" Fankhauser (38) from Salzburg , the first transatlantic rower from Austria crossed the finish line after 57 days, 13 hours and 49 minutes. He had previously been on one of the two support boats in 2016. The Swiss solo rower Gabi Schenkel, 42, was hit by a wave at the beginning of January, causing her boat to overturn. She reached the goal in 74 days, 23 hours and 56 minutes.

Challenges and dangers as well as countermeasures

Dan Byles, 1997

The challenge for those who do extreme sports is not only to face their fears, but also to cope with the realities of nature. On the Atlantic, rowers are constantly exposed to salty air. There is also a threat of confrontation with strong currents, hurricane-like winds or even hurricanes, with waves up to 20 meters high, scorching sun or heavy rain. In addition, ships and especially containers that have gone overboard and drifting in the sea pose a danger. Not to mention your own constitution: In addition to injuries and exhaustion, dehydration could have serious consequences. A few days of vomiting due to "seasickness" may be enough.

To prevent these dangers, the organization team ensures that those registered for the regatta not only complete survival training and first aid courses in advance , but also have various aids on board during their tour. The list ranges from navigation devices to an automatic identification system to seawater desalination systems . For additional safety, those involved are always leashed and equipped with tracking devices in the event that they go overboard without a leash . Two security yachts and two commanders on land support the teams in crossing the ocean. In an extreme emergency, helicopters are used.

During the race, the athletes burn more than 5000 kilocalories per day. You are advised to drink 10 liters of water a day. The drinking water is produced from salt water with a solar cell powered watermaker . The food is prepared with water from freeze-dried expedition food brought along. In order to avoid weight loss, the food rations are carefully planned. The organization team, for example, prescribes 60 kilocalories per day for the rowers per kilo of body weight. Nevertheless, the participants lose an average of 12 kg. Instead of a toilet, there is a bucket on board.

Situation for outsiders

It is possible for those enthusiastic about the current status of the boats on the internet at any time, because every boat can be tracked by GPS tracking.

See also

Web links

Commons : Atlantic Rowing Race  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Atlantic Compaigns: 2019 Race Entrants. Retrieved January 22, 2020 .
  2. ^ A b c d e f Atlantic Campaigns: The Challenge. Retrieved January 22, 2020 .
  3. ↑ Spiegel Online: Four women from Hamburg start the toughest rowing race in the world. Retrieved December 12, 2019 .
  4. ↑ Chay Blyth: The Transatlantic Rowing Race. Retrieved January 22, 2020 .
  5. ^ Yachting World: Challenge Business sell rowing races - Yachting World. Retrieved January 22, 2020 .
  6. ↑ a b Atlantic rowers begin challenge . In: BBC , November 30, 2005.
  7. ^ Atlantic Rowing Race 2005 . Archived from www.atlanticrowingrace.co.uk on the Internet Archive on November 30, 2013.
  8. ^ Rob Bartlett: Row, Row, Row Your Boat Across the Ocean . ticotimes.net, February 22, 2008.
  9. ↑ Deborah Haynes: British rowers on brink of transatlantic race victory . In: The Times , January 19, 2008.
  10. ↑ James Cracknell, Ben Fogle: The Crossing: Conquering the Atlantic in the World's Thoughest Rowing Race . Atlantic Books, London 2007, ISBN 978-1-84354-512-5 .
  11. ↑ Press Release - Charlie Pitcher wins Atlantic Rowing Race . Archived from www.atlanticrowingrace09.com in the Internet Archive on August 7, 2010.
  12. ^ Adam Lusher: Rowing the Atlantic in one of the most extraordinary battles with the ocean . In: The Daily Telegraph , Jan. 7, 2012.
  13. ^ Winner of Atlantic Challenge tells his story . In: worldrowing.com, January 27, 2012.
  14. ↑ Nick Moore: A race across the Atlantic in our own little Shelterbox . In: The Daily Telegraph , January 11, 2013.
  15. ^ Atlantic Campaigns: About us. Retrieved January 22, 2020 .
  16. ^ Greg Maud: The History of The Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge. Retrieved January 22, 2020 .
  17. ^ Charities . Organizer website, accessed January 23, 2020.
  18. ^ Braving the transatlantic waves for TUF . In: Trends in Urology & Men's Health , September / October 2013, p. 33, doi: 10.2752 / 174967812X13287914145550 .
  19. ↑ Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge 2013/2014 . Organizer website, accessed January 23, 2020.
  20. ↑ Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge 2015/2016 . Organizer website, accessed January 23, 2020.
  21. ^ Atlantic Campaigns: 2015 Leaderboard. Retrieved January 25, 2020 .
  22. ↑ Row Like a Girl: Meet the Crew. Retrieved January 25, 2020 .
  23. ^ The Telegraph: Record-breaking female rowing team 'an inspiration to women. Retrieved January 25, 2020 .
  24. ↑ Janette Benaddi, Helen Butters, Frances Davies, Niki Doeg: Four girlfriends, one boat. 5500 kilometers in a rowing boat across the Atlantic , Munich 2018, p. 173. - The original title of the book is: Four Mums in a Boat: Friends Who Rowed 3000 Miles, Broke a World Record and Learnt a Lot About Life Along the Way .
  25. ^ Spiegel: Rowing race Atlantic Challenge. 67 days, four women, one boat. Retrieved January 22, 2020 .
  26. ↑ Race entrants , leader board of the Atlantic Challenge 2016 website of the organizers. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  27. ↑ Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge 2017/2018 , Leaderboard and Race Entrants . Organizer website, accessed January 27, 2020.
  28. ↑ Race entrants and leader board of the Atlantic Challenge 2018. Website of the organizers. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  29. ^ Fortitude IV: The Challenge. Retrieved January 22, 2020 .
  30. ↑ DRV : Wellenbrecherinnen win the women's classification of the Atlantic Challenge. Retrieved January 26, 2020 .
  31. ^ Atlantic Campaigns: Race Leaderboard. Retrieved January 22, 2020 .
  32. ↑ Atlantic rowers arrived in the Caribbean orf.at, February 8, 2020, accessed February 9, 2020.
  33. ↑ Topics: Wolfgang Fankhauser mein district.at, accessed February 9, 2020.
  34. ^ Watson (news portal) : Woman overboard! Here a monster wave washes the Swiss extreme rower into the Atlantic. Retrieved January 22, 2020 .
  35. ↑ Gabi Schenkel: 4723 km across the Atlantic . In: srf.ch , March 9, 2020.
  36. ↑ a b ZDF: Four women row across the Atlantic. Part 1: The preparation of the "breakwaters". Retrieved January 23, 2020 .
  37. ↑ Wavefronts: Shipping. Retrieved January 23, 2020 .
  38. ↑ 4,800 km rowing across the Atlantic ibelieveinyou.at, accessed February 9, 2020.