A five-man crew has completed a 2,000 mile row around Britain, setting a new world record
Team Rowmads is said to be the first and fastest team of five to complete the GB Row Challenge unsupported.
The team finished the row in 32 days, 30 minutes and 58 seconds, and crossed the finish line underneath Tower Bridge, London, last Friday afternoon.
The team is made up of three military doctors, a firefighter, and a fitness coach, and battled relentless tides, unpredictable weather, sleep deprivation and physical exhaustion over the course of their journey.
Royal Navy trauma and orthopaedic registrar Stefano Capella said that “the biggest highlight was seeing just how extraordinary our country is from the water”.
“We had dolphins following the boat, and saw otters, whales and incredible stretches of coastline. Scotland was beautiful, even if the weather did not always let it show its true colours,”he said.
“There were some brutally hard moments, like being on the oars at two in the morning for the fifth night in a row, rationing water and dealing with no power. But morale stayed remarkably high because we had such a fantastic team,” he said.
The achievement places Team Rowmads among an elite group, with fewer than 40 people ever having completed a continuous, unsupported circumnavigation of Great Britain by rowing boat.
Stefano added: “There were rare days when the boat seemed to fly and rowing felt almost like piloting a fighter jet. Those moments were incredibly special. More than anything, though, it was the chance to share the experience with some of my best friends and my twin brother.
“We amazingly never ran out of things to talk about. I think we could probably launch our own Loose Women equivalent. That's what got us through,”he said.
“We had no power in the end. Our speakers died, our radios died as well, so it relied on us to make our own entertainment for quite long periods. It's amazing how you can while away 24 hours on the oars just by talking.”
Beyond their sporting achievement, the expedition has made a significant contribution to marine science. Throughout the journey, the crew collected environmental data on microplastic pollution, biodiversity, underwater noise pollution, sea temperature and salinity.
The information will now be analysed by scientists at the University of Portsmouth before being shared through The Crown Estate's Marine Data Exchange, one of the world's largest open-access collections of marine industry data.
The research contributes to a growing long-term record of the health of British coastal waters and will help scientists better understand the effects of human activity on marine ecosystems.
The GB Row Challenge is widely regarded as one of the toughest rowing races in the world. Crews must navigate approximately 2,000 miles around the coastline of Great Britain without external support, relying entirely on their preparation, teamwork and determination to overcome some of the most challenging waters in Europe.
The team’s Guinness World Record is subject to verification by the Ocean Rowing Society. This year’s joint headline sponsors are Cleaner Seas Group and Simply Sustainable – two organisations focused on advancing practical solutions to environmental challenges.
