#ocean rowing

[a-solitary-sea-rover-backup]

When adventurer Liz Wardley decided she needed a new challenge, she didn't imagine it would turn into a nearly nine-month-long journey across 13,000 kilometres of ocean.

The passionate Queensland sailor traded the wheel of her beloved ocean racer for a seven-metre rowboat, fondly named Tic Tac because it looked like a half-eaten sweet, and set off to tackle one of the world's hardest rowing events, aptly named the World's Toughest Row.

The 4,800-kilometre race from Spain across the Atlantic Ocean to Antigua sparked the 45-year-old's thirst for adventure in a small rowboat.

[a-solitary-sea-rover-backup]

A Laysan Albatross visits Liz Wardley on her return row back to Australia

[a-solitary-sea-rover-backup]

On the Water: Wardley, Kurbiel finish World’s Toughest Row

Grunion columnist Jo Murray writes about all things water related in and around Long Beach.

After rowing an incredible 2,800 miles from Monterey, teammates Liz Wardley and Lena Kurbiel arrived in Hanalei Bay, Kaua’i, in Hawaii, on Monday, July 15, effectively completing the Pacific Ocean edition of the World’s Toughest Row.

The boats passed the finish line and celebrated by lighting flares. Then, the boats were beached and the team members waded through the water as their families greeted them. The familues helped the wobbly rowers to the sand, where an arrival area was lit up with tiki torches and fires.

The Pacific Ocean edition of the World’s Toughest Row began on June 8, with nine teams consisting of three pairs, two trios and four four-member squads. Wardley and Kurbiel’s boat was the third to finish.

[a-solitary-sea-rover-backup]

Team Liz & Lena: Featuring Liz Wardley & Lena Kurbiel

Join Lena Kurbiel and Liz Wardley on their journey across the Pacific Ocean in the World's Toughest Row. Lena is set to become the youngest

Liz has raced around the world three times and clocked over 600,000nm at sea, yet when she collapsed on the dock in Antigua after 44 days of rowing; she said, 'I've never had to dig so deep'.  

It may have been the adrenaline of shaving 15 days off the women's solo race record, but a few days after the finish, she hobbled (walking was still a challenge) into the race office and signed up to do the World's Toughest Row—Pacific2024.  

Doing these races back-to-back hasn't been done yet; there is a fine line between recovery and training, and Liz is navigating that path at the moment, but looking forward to the challenge. 

[a-solitary-sea-rover-backup]

In December 2023, I spoke with offshore sailor Liz Wardley about her plans to row across the Atlantic. In January 2024, she completed her journey in 44 days. Two weeks later, we did this follow-up interview (with captions, because now I have Clipchamp).

Timestamps:

0:52: Life back ashore

3:04: Starting the race

5:10: Being alone

8:55: Daily (non) routine

10:54: Skywatching in mid-Atlantic

13:16: Stormy weather and capsizes

17:16: Christmas at sea

19:20: Wildlife encounters

20:18: Landfall in Antigua

22:19: The next adventure

27:58: Liz's treasure

[a-solitary-sea-rover-backup]

26 January 2024: Liz Wardley is the first solo woman to finish the 2023 World’s Toughest Row from the Canary Islands to Antigua

[a-solitary-sea-rover-backup]

Team of Royal Navy submariners win 3,000 mile world’s toughest rowing race

A team of Royal Navy submariners have won the world’s toughest rowing race by battling 3,000 miles across the Atlantic in 35 days, four hours and 30 minutes.

The five servicemen arrived in their boat Captain Jim at English Harbour, Antigua, just before 1pm on Wednesday having left the Canary Islands on December 13.

…

Captain Jim’s skipper Commander Matt Main, from Sussex, said the race had been “tough, really, really tough”.

He added: “It’s a really long way – and I don’t recommend rowing it – try flying it, or perhaps cruising.

“We had some beautiful times in the moonlight, racing through the night on big waves, great fun.

“But there were also lows, some awful crosswinds when you felt you were making no progress, sometimes it felt like it would never end.

“But overall, it’s been a brilliant experience. It’s demanded a lot of love and tolerance at times, but these four men are amazing. We made a real bond.”

[a-solitary-sea-rover-backup]

The wind changed  I felt it run beneath my ear  Like silk drawn across my neck