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. 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. 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. Since 2015, the race has been held annually starting each December.
1997 – Port St. Charles Rowing Race 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 Team Name: Kiwi Challenge Country: Rowers: Rob Hamill and Phil Stubbs Time: 41 days, 2 hours, and 55 minutes
2001 – Ward Evans Atlantic Rowing Race 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 Team Name: Telecom Challenge 1 Country: Rowers: Matt Goodman and Steve Westlake Time: 42 days, 4 hours, and 3 minutes
2003 – Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race
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 Country: Rowers: James Fitzgerald and Kevin Biggar Time: 40 days, 4 hours, and 3 minutes
2004 – Ocean Rowing Society Atlantic Rowing Regatta
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: Rowers: David Martin, Neil Wightwick, Glynn Coupland, and George Simpson Time: 49 days, 14 hours, 21 minutes
2005 – Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race
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: 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
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: 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
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 12Entrants in the Atlantic Rowing Race 2009 . Retrieved 5 April 2010 Teams Finishing: 20 Categories: Singles, Pairs, Fours Winning Boat: JJ (Insure & Go) Team Name: Charlie Pitcher Country: Rowers: Charlie Pitcher Time: 52 days 6 hours and 47 minutes
2011 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge
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: Rowers: Toby Iles and Nick Moore Time: 40 days, 9 hours, 15 minutes
2013 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge
Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera Arrival Port: Antigua Race Start: 4 December 2013 Teams Starting: 17 Teams Finishing: 11 Categories: Singles, Doubles, Trios, Fours, Fives Winning Boat: Locura Team Name: Team Locura Country: Rowers: Tom Salt and Mike Burton Time: 40 days, 2 hours, 38 minutes, 54 seconds
2015 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge
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: Rowers: Angus Collins, Gus Barton, Joe Barnett, Jack Mayhew Time: 37 days, 9 hours, 12 minutes
2016 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge
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 ( and ) 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
https://www.taliskerwhiskyatlanticchallenge.com/race-report-2017/s/ 2017 race report Retrieved 23 March 2022 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: Rowers: George Biggar, Peter Robinson, Stuart Watts, Richard Taylor Time: 29 days, 14 hours, 34 minutes (New Race Record)
2018 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge
https://www.taliskerwhiskyatlanticchallenge.com/2018-race-entrants/ 2018 race entrants Retrieved 26 January 2020 https://www.taliskerwhiskyatlanticchallenge.com/2018-leaderboard/ 2018 leaderboard Retrieved 26 January 2020 https://www.taliskerwhiskyatlanticchallenge.com/2018-race-summary/ 2018 race summary Retrieved 26 January 2020 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: Rowers: Marcel Ates, Erik Koning, David de Bruijn, Bart Adema Time: 34 days, 12 hours, 9 minutes
2019 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge
https://www.taliskerwhiskyatlanticchallenge.com/2019-race-entrants/ 2019 race entrants Retrieved 26 January 2020 https://www.taliskerwhiskyatlanticchallenge.com/2019-race-tracking/ 2019 race tracking Retrieved 26 January 2020 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: 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, using the funds raised to establish a home for girls in conflict with the law.
2021 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge
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: Rowers: Roman Moeckli, Ingvar Groza, Samuel Widmer, Jan Hurni Time: 34 days, 23 hours, 42 minutes 2021 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge
Current Race Records
Ocean rowing records for The Atlantic Rowing Race are maintained by Ocean Rowing Stats. CategoryRace YearTimeRowersTeamSpecial NoteTraditional Single201552 days, 3 hr, 26 minMatteo PerucchiniSogno AtlanticoTraditional Double200340 days, 4 hr, 3 minJames FitzgeraldKevin BiggarHoliday Shoppe ChallengeTraditional Trio201651 days, 1 hr, 13 minStuart ConnacherCharl GaleWayne JohnsonFacing ItTraditional FourConcept Single201649 days, 11 hr, 37 minGavan HenniganSoulogavConcept Double2019 37 days, 7 hr, 54 minDave SpelmanMax ThorpeResilient:XGuinness World Record for the fastest row across the Atlantic E-W by a duoConcept Trio12 Dec 2022 - 16 Jan 202335 days, 2 hr, 33 minGareth KeighleyCharles TaylorAaron KneeboneDark TrioConcept Four201729 days, 14 hr, 34 minPeter RobinsonStuart WattsGeorge BiggarRichard TaylorThe Four OarsmenGuinness World Record for the fastest row across the Atlantic E-W by a four person teamFemale Trio202340 days, 10 hr, 51 minBobbie MellorKatherine AntrobusHatty CarderWaveBreakersFastest Female Trio to row across the Atlantic OceanWomen's Solo202444 days, 4 hours, 47 minLiz Wardley15 days faster than previous record
References
External links Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge 2015 Ocean Rowing Stats Atlantic Rowing Race 2009 Atlantic Rowing Race 2005 Woodvale Events
Ocean Rowing Society International BBC report of the 2005 start BBC report – Champagne for Beer Rowers