Team Hallin Held the Record for One Day
On Monday, the six British rowers of Team Hallin have set a new world record for rowing the Atlantic Ocean. The five men and one woman landed in Barbados after completing the 3,000 mile course from Tenerife in 31days and 23hours and 31 minutes. Then on Tuesday, the 2011 Ocean rowing boat ‘Sara G’ shaved 10 hours 36 minutes off the record set by Team Hallin the day before. How long the new record will stand is unclear. A third rowing team on the Britannia III left the Canary nine days ago intent on setting a new record of their own.
This must indeed be one of the most gruelling endurance events in modern sport. With a crew of only 5 it’s impossible to imagine averaging near 4 knots for a month without having oars manned 24/7. They must have stood watches. The course seems to be oriented favorably in the Trades, but even so there must have been hard physical labor for each person for close to 12 hours each day — in tropic temperatures at that.
The boat seems to be a trimaran, probably for reasons of stability only; racing shell proportions wouldn’t be safe in the swells of the trade-wind zone. Maybe they occasionally caught a wave and surfed it, getting a few minutes’ rest? Still an incredible achievement.
It was all of those things Steven…and more. The crew adopts a 2hr on 2 hrs off strategy 24/7. The hardest thing i have ever done in my life…but weel worth it. Bring n the Indian in 2012!