Latest news with #Atlantic-conquering
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'This could be a movie': Mark Wahlberg pledges support for brothers rowing Pacific
Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg has thrown his support behind three Scottish brothers attempting a world-record-breaking row across the Pacific Ocean – and has hinted that their story could one day make it to the big screen. In a surprise video call with the brothers – Ewan, Jamie, and Lachlan Maclean – Wahlberg praised their mission to row 9,000 miles non-stop and unsupported from Lima, Peru, to Sydney, Australia, raising funds for clean water projects in Madagascar. 'I'm so inspired by you guys,' Wahlberg told the brothers, who are now 54 days into their row. 'You're badasses doing something no one else would even think of. 'This could be a movie. The best films I've done are based on true stories — ordinary people doing extraordinary things. No way I'd row an ocean, but I'd play one of you guys in a movie.' As they battle salt sores, relentless weather, a broken watermaker, and a faulty autohelm – with over 5,000 miles still to go to reach Sydney, and more than £900,000 left to raise towards their £1 million target – the call with one of their heroes was a welcome and 'surreal' boost. Lachlan, Ewan and Jamie Maclean (Image: Maclean Brothers) Wahlberg connected with the brothers over faith, family, and resilience, and pledged to help raise awareness for their mission. The Perfect Storm star, who is the youngest of nine siblings, shared his own experience of life at sea – on hearing that the brothers had a tuna on the line, he recalled nights spent sleeping on a tuna boat with squid as a pillow while filming for the true story he starred in alongside George Clooney. He commented: 'When I was preparing to do The Perfect Storm, I went out on a sword boat — in Ocean City, Maryland, a longliner, and we were actually fishing. We caught some pretty big tuna — 500, 600 pounder. I don't know how you guys are gonna wrestle that thing onto that boat, man. Oh my gosh.' Wahlberg continued: 'What you guys are doing is next level. You're living out a sense of purpose – combining passion with impact. That's rare, and it's humbling to watch. People need to hear about what you're doing. 'I couldn't be more inspired by the grit, the determination, the resiliency. What you guys are doing for such an amazing cause, and how hard you're willing to sacrifice yourself and your own wellbeing for the good of others, is so inspiring. For you guys to do this under your own free will – it's pretty crazy. Some would say we might need to give you a couple of psychological examinations.' READ MORE: Scots brothers' record-breaking Pacific row back on track Atlantic-conquering brothers take to The Minch ahead of Pacific row Edinburgh brothers look to make history with Pacific Ocean row The actor, who owns restaurants in Sydney and the Gold Coast, also promised the brothers a meal at the finish line, which will be a welcome reward after four months or so of freeze-dried meals. He continued: 'We'll have a meal waiting for you. My gosh, by that time, we may even be down there to welcome you.' The Macleans expect to spend more than 100 days on board their 28-foot carbon fibre boat, Rose Emily, named in memory of their late sister. With no engine, no sail, and no support crew, they row in two-hour shifts, surviving on freeze-dried meals and desalinated water. 'It's been much harder than we expected,' said Ewan Maclean (33), who left his job as a Dyson engineer to help design and build the boat. 'But today we had dolphins surfing near the boat, and that lifted our spirits — and then we hear we get to speak to Mark Wahlberg, so spirits are absolutely through the roof. 'We are such big fans, and speaking to him is like a dream come true for us. It's so cool… but it's bloody surreal.' Lachlan, who will turn 28 next week and is the youngest of the trio (Jamie's 32), added: 'We're all operating in such little sleep that we thought it all could have been a hallucination.' The brothers, who previously set three world records rowing the Atlantic in 2020, are rowing for The Maclean Foundation, their charity supporting clean water projects in Madagascar. Supporters can follow their journey and donate to their cause at
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Mark Wahlberg pledges support for Scottish brothers rowing Pacific
'I'm so inspired by you guys,' Wahlberg told the brothers, who are now 54 days into their row. 'You're badasses doing something no one else would even think of. 'This could be a movie. The best films I've done are based on true stories — ordinary people doing extraordinary things. No way I'd row an ocean, but I'd play one of you guys in a movie.' As they battle salt sores, relentless weather, a broken watermaker, and a faulty autohelm – with over 5,000 miles still to go to reach Sydney, and more than £900,000 left to raise towards their £1 million target – the call with one of their heroes was a welcome and 'surreal' boost. Lachlan, Ewan and Jamie Maclean (Image: Maclean Brothers) Wahlberg connected with the brothers over faith, family, and resilience, and pledged to help raise awareness for their mission. The Perfect Storm star, who is the youngest of nine siblings, shared his own experience of life at sea – on hearing that the brothers had a tuna on the line, he recalled nights spent sleeping on a tuna boat with squid as a pillow while filming for the true story he starred in alongside George Clooney. He commented: 'When I was preparing to do The Perfect Storm, I went out on a sword boat — in Ocean City, Maryland, a longliner, and we were actually fishing. We caught some pretty big tuna — 500, 600 pounder. I don't know how you guys are gonna wrestle that thing onto that boat, man. Oh my gosh.' Wahlberg continued: 'What you guys are doing is next level. You're living out a sense of purpose – combining passion with impact. That's rare, and it's humbling to watch. People need to hear about what you're doing. 'I couldn't be more inspired by the grit, the determination, the resiliency. What you guys are doing for such an amazing cause, and how hard you're willing to sacrifice yourself and your own wellbeing for the good of others, is so inspiring. For you guys to do this under your own free will – it's pretty crazy. Some would say we might need to give you a couple of psychological examinations.' READ MORE: Scots brothers' record-breaking Pacific row back on track Atlantic-conquering brothers take to The Minch ahead of Pacific row Edinburgh brothers look to make history with Pacific Ocean row The actor, who owns restaurants in Sydney and the Gold Coast, also promised the brothers a meal at the finish line, which will be a welcome reward after four months or so of freeze-dried meals. He continued: 'We'll have a meal waiting for you. My gosh, by that time, we may even be down there to welcome you.' The Macleans expect to spend more than 100 days on board their 28-foot carbon fibre boat, Rose Emily, named in memory of their late sister. With no engine, no sail, and no support crew, they row in two-hour shifts, surviving on freeze-dried meals and desalinated water. 'It's been much harder than we expected,' said Ewan Maclean (33), who left his job as a Dyson engineer to help design and build the boat. 'But today we had dolphins surfing near the boat, and that lifted our spirits — and then we hear we get to speak to Mark Wahlberg, so spirits are absolutely through the roof. 'We are such big fans, and speaking to him is like a dream come true for us. It's so cool… but it's bloody surreal.' Lachlan, who will turn 28 next week and is the youngest of the trio (Jamie's 32), added: 'We're all operating in such little sleep that we thought it all could have been a hallucination.' The brothers, who previously set three world records rowing the Atlantic in 2020, are rowing for The Maclean Foundation, their charity supporting clean water projects in Madagascar. Supporters can follow their journey and donate to their cause at
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Scottish brothers on world record bid now closer to astronauts than humans on earth
Scottish brothers who are attempting a world-record-breaking row across the Pacific Ocean are now officially closer to astronauts on board the International Space Station than they are people on Earth. Ewan, Jamie and Lachlan Maclean are 40 days into their 9,000 mile journey from Lima in Peru to Sydney, Australia and are bidding to become the fastest team to row the Pacific and raise £1 million for clean water projects in Madagascar via their charity, The Maclean Foundation. Right now, they are approximately 2,700 nautical miles from Lima and the nearest inhabited land to them is Marquesas Island in French Polynesia, 1,150NM away. It means the International Space Station, which orbits around 400km above sea level, is currently closer to them than any human on Earth. The brothers are at third of the way through their journey and have reached a major milestone, day 35. That is how long it took them to complete their row of the Atlantic in 2020, which earned them three world records. 'We've officially reached the middle of nowhere,' said Ewan, a former Dyson engineer who's spent much of the trip wrestling with a broken auto helm. READ MORE: Atlantic-conquering brothers take to The Minch ahead of Pacific row Scots brothers' record-breaking Pacific row back on track after customs delay Scottish knitting expert to take on world's toughest row for charity 'It's been a grind to get here — this row has been much tougher than any of us anticipated. And if the auto helm issues don't sort themselves, we might be out here for another 150 days. Breaking it into tiny milestones has been important psychologically. 'We knew it would be monotonous. But there have definitely been stretches that felt like a never-ending purgatory: rowing in the same beam-on conditions, day after day. 'That being said, we're incredibly lucky to be doing this, just so fortunate to have this incredible once in a lifetime opportunity. It's type two fun, but that's still fun. The messages we've received from home have kept us going through our hardest points and morale is very high right now. We're doing it.' The brothers, from Edinburgh, are doing the row on their 28-foot carbon fibre boat named after their late sister Rose Emily. They take it in shifts around the clock and are fighting 30-foot waves and temperatures above 30 degree Celcius. With no engine, no sail and no support crew, they are surviving on rehydrated meals, desalinated water and the occasional square of chocolate. 'We're not great at being uncomfortable,' said Lachlan, 26, who will celebrate his birthday on June 9. 'We're just naive enough to start and stubborn enough to finish. The brothers are attempting to row across the pacific (Image: MacLean Foundation) 'We've had dolphins surfing off the bow, whales breaching metres from the boat, and waves soaking everything just as we get dry. It's brutal, brilliant, and bizarre in equal measure. Sometimes the lows are unavoidable, but they always pass. Looking for the positives goes a long way out here. 'Would I get off the boat tomorrow if I could? Genuinely, I don't think I would. Even though it's been achingly hard, we're drawn to what lies in the uncharted waters beyond 35 days at sea.' Despite the discomfort — including salt sores, mental fog, and rowing blisters on top of blisters — they've found moments of joy. From impromptu jam sessions to tending a mini lettuce garden planted in a repurposed Tupperware box, morale remains afloat. Jamie, who is also nursing a burn from cooking on board, said: 'It's the little things. At times it's tough. Same weather. Same food. Same crap rowing. Same crap company. Terrible sleep. Then do it again. And again. And again, I've found solace inside my Tupperware box. I've always enjoyed the process of planting things. I remember being immensely proud of my carrot patch at Steiners – the fantastic and somewhat alternative school I attended for most of my childhood. 'I draw so much hope from planting seeds. The potential of what those little things can become never ceases to amaze me. Time will tell if we see any life from this odd-looking lunch box, but it's been a welcome distraction to the afternoon slump. Fishing has been another highlight and I daydream of tuna steaks and a crisp, fresh side salad.' The brothers expect to be at sea for another 70 to 80 days. Supporters can track their progress and donate to their £1 million fundraising target at
The Herald Scotland
23-05-2025
- The Herald Scotland
Scots brothers on world record bid closer to space station than land
Right now, they are approximately 2,700 nautical miles from Lima and the nearest inhabited land to them is Marquesas Island in French Polynesia, 1,150NM away. It means the International Space Station, which orbits around 400km above sea level, is currently closer to them than any human on Earth. The brothers are at third of the way through their journey and have reached a major milestone, day 35. That is how long it took them to complete their row of the Atlantic in 2020, which earned them three world records. 'We've officially reached the middle of nowhere,' said Ewan, a former Dyson engineer who's spent much of the trip wrestling with a broken auto helm. READ MORE: Atlantic-conquering brothers take to The Minch ahead of Pacific row Scots brothers' record-breaking Pacific row back on track after customs delay Scottish knitting expert to take on world's toughest row for charity 'It's been a grind to get here — this row has been much tougher than any of us anticipated. And if the auto helm issues don't sort themselves, we might be out here for another 150 days. Breaking it into tiny milestones has been important psychologically. 'We knew it would be monotonous. But there have definitely been stretches that felt like a never-ending purgatory: rowing in the same beam-on conditions, day after day. 'That being said, we're incredibly lucky to be doing this, just so fortunate to have this incredible once in a lifetime opportunity. It's type two fun, but that's still fun. The messages we've received from home have kept us going through our hardest points and morale is very high right now. We're doing it.' The brothers, from Edinburgh, are doing the row on their 28-foot carbon fibre boat named after their late sister Rose Emily. They take it in shifts around the clock and are fighting 30-foot waves and temperatures above 30 degree Celcius. With no engine, no sail and no support crew, they are surviving on rehydrated meals, desalinated water and the occasional square of chocolate. 'We're not great at being uncomfortable,' said Lachlan, 26, who will celebrate his birthday on June 9. 'We're just naive enough to start and stubborn enough to finish. The brothers are attempting to row across the pacific (Image: MacLean Foundation) 'We've had dolphins surfing off the bow, whales breaching metres from the boat, and waves soaking everything just as we get dry. It's brutal, brilliant, and bizarre in equal measure. Sometimes the lows are unavoidable, but they always pass. Looking for the positives goes a long way out here. 'Would I get off the boat tomorrow if I could? Genuinely, I don't think I would. Even though it's been achingly hard, we're drawn to what lies in the uncharted waters beyond 35 days at sea.' Despite the discomfort — including salt sores, mental fog, and rowing blisters on top of blisters — they've found moments of joy. From impromptu jam sessions to tending a mini lettuce garden planted in a repurposed Tupperware box, morale remains afloat. Jamie, who is also nursing a burn from cooking on board, said: 'It's the little things. At times it's tough. Same weather. Same food. Same crap rowing. Same crap company. Terrible sleep. Then do it again. And again. And again, I've found solace inside my Tupperware box. I've always enjoyed the process of planting things. I remember being immensely proud of my carrot patch at Steiners – the fantastic and somewhat alternative school I attended for most of my childhood. 'I draw so much hope from planting seeds. The potential of what those little things can become never ceases to amaze me. Time will tell if we see any life from this odd-looking lunch box, but it's been a welcome distraction to the afternoon slump. Fishing has been another highlight and I daydream of tuna steaks and a crisp, fresh side salad.' The brothers expect to be at sea for another 70 to 80 days. Supporters can track their progress and donate to their £1 million fundraising target at
