Atlantic rowing team wins race in aid of Sea Rangers

After 40 days, 4 hours and 7 minutes, the rowing race team One Ocean Crew finished the Talisker Atlantic Challenge, raising money for the Sea Ranger Service and awareness of the need to protect the world’s oceans. As the rowing team finished first in the Women’s Class, they won the famed Murden Trophy.

What is the Talisker Atlantic Challenge? 

The Talisker Atlantic Challenge is one of the toughest challenges a person can undertake. Each team begins rowing from San Sebastian in La Gomera, Canary Islands, with the aim of getting to Antigua in the Caribbean, the fastest. By the time they finished, the One Ocean Crew, consisting of Jennifer Cullom, Erin Bastian, Emily Woodason all from the UK and Janette Potgieter from South Africa, rowed over 3,000 gruelling miles, through storms, intense heat and sometimes 6 metre high waves.  

This crew of only four, rotated in rowing shifts of two hours, for 24 hours every day until reaching the finish line. During the two hour breaks the team members get, they need to eat enough calories to power them and try and get some rest or sleep.

Why does One Ocean Crew support the Sea Ranger Service?

In a recent Instagram post the team have shared some of the incredible things they’ve experienced as part of their epic rowing journey, as well as highlighting their support for the work of the Sea Rangers; “We’ve come to realise more than ever that the ocean is an incredibly special place. A place that needs our protection. A natural world that through research and planning, we can help to restore. We are incredibly proud to be rowing to raise awareness and funds for the Sea Ranger Service – a social enterprise dedicated to conserving and enhancing our ocean. Your team of Sea Rangers have been such an inspiration on our journey. The work that you do is tremendous and we are so excited to have worked with you on this trip.”

To date the One Ocean Crew have raised over 15,000 euros to help the work of the Sea Rangers and as an organisation we are very grateful.

We’ve come to realise more than ever that the ocean is an incredibly special place. A natural world that through research and planning, we can help to restore.

Wietse van der Werf, founder and CEO at the Sea Ranger Service commented on the rowing team’s incredible achievement. “At the Sea Ranger Service we are so immensely proud of what the One Ocean Crew have achieved. I can’t imagine the physical and mental strength that is required to complete a challenge like this, and for them to do it whilst raising money and awareness of our very own Sea Ranger Service makes us so grateful. The One Ocean Crew has been an inspiration to us all, from our young Sea Rangers to the rest of us working from land. To witness such dedication and achievement means so much to us all.”