The ocean rowing boats used by Mission Atlantic are feats of modern engineering. The main structural elements of the boat are rather simple as are the electrical systems onboard. At it’s heart each boat is a place where the rowers can sit and heave on the oars as effectively as possible. However, beneath the surface…
The crews have already received welcome visitors from whales and dolphins from beneath the waves. Now they are starting to receive visitors from the air in the form of birds and insects. Despite having rowed for more than a week and even through they have rowed more than 300nm they are less than 250nm off…
Although wind and waves aren’t great it’s the cloud which can be an ocean rower’s worst enemy. Without sun falling onto the solar panels the crews have to start being a little cautious about how they manage the power which is available onboard. They do have two sizable batteries onboard to allow the boat to…
One week into their Atlantic adventure, the crews of Mission Atlantic are already showing remarkable grit and determination. However, the ocean has no intentions of making things easy. Over the last 24 hours rain, and intensifying winds have tested their resolve, and now the crews face their biggest challenge yet. Riding the StormFor Ocean’s Elite,…
Those of you who have been closely following the YB tracker may have noticed the recent dip in speed of Rowing Stones followed shortly afterwards by the recent increase in speed of Ocean’s Elite. It’s almost as though the crews were playing a video game where their boat goes over a speed booster, and in…
What a glorious thing it is to receive a message like the one below from Rowing Stones. We had the most beautiful day today. The sea was quite flat, blue sky, and the mission was to reach our next waypoint before the weather changes. We had to stop on our tracks however, as we spotted…
As the crews complete their 4th full day on the ocean and row into the start of their 5th day we’re starting to see things settle down. Ocean’s Elite are making much more positive progress as they adapt to their new ‘bucking bronco’ environment. These two veterans would never complain or moan about their situation…
It’s about now that we can start to think about relaxing…a bit. The crews have both made some excellent progress away from Gran Canaria and are now progressing out into open waters where the waves will start to become less choppy and more rolling. The reports coming back from the crews continue to be encouraging…
Those of you following the dots on the YB tracker will no doubt have spotted the squiggly course that Ocean’s Elite have been taking over the past 48 hours. This is clearly not their intention, and has understandably raised some concerns among supporters and followers. It might not have been part of the plan but…
The first few days of any ocean row can be particularly challenging and difficult. The physical energy rowers are expending cannot be understated. They will be sleep deprived as an early start on race day, combines with their new bouncy bedrooms on the boat, to reduce their chances to rest and recover from their exertion….