Seasickness and family tragedy on the world’s toughest rowing event

The first week of the World’s Toughest Rowing Race organised by Atlantic Campaigns has seen crews adapting to the challenges of an Atlantic crossing and coping with the initial seasickness. Conditions have been helpful with a following wind and waves.

Forty-three ocean rowing boats with 114 ocean rowers representing 20 nations left San Sebastian de La Gomera on December 14 in the 2025 race, a 3,000 mile unsupported rowing race across the Atlantic Ocean west from San Sebastian in La Gomera in the Canary Islands (280N 180W) to Nelson’s Dockyard in English Harbour, Antigua & Barbuda (170N 610W).

The 43 competing crews are made up of 10 solos, 11 pairs, 6 trios and 16 fours. It’s worth noting that more people have climbed Everest (nearly 7,000) than have rowed the Atlantic (about 1,800).

Amongst the crews there are two Devon rowers, Clare O’Reilly from Wembury who was at Dartmouth Regatta this year with her trio crew ‘Row with the Flow’ and Jess Smiles from Saunton who is rowing in a pair named ‘Atlantic Highway’ named after the highway through North Devon.

The current leaders are the Swiss crew ’44 West’ who have completed 601 nautical miles. ‘Atlantic Highway’ are 15th and have rowed 465 nautical miles and ‘Row with the Flow’ 23rd, having rowed 448 nautical miles.

Clare O’Reilly’s father died on the eve of their departure, which was followed by a day of tears and then presents from her crewmates to mark her birthday afloat. There has been one medical emergency with a crew member taken off of ‘Scotland the Wave’.