04-05-2025
Hampshire woman prepares to restart world record rowing attempt
An all-female rowing team are preparing to restart their world record attempt.
If successful they'll become the youngest team to row the full Pacific Ocean and the first team to row the full Pacific Ocean nonstop and unsupported.
Jess Rowe, 28, from Liphook in Hampshire and Miriam Payne, 25, from Yorkshire are attempting to row 8,000 miles across the Pacific.
It's their second attempt having been rescued by a Peruvian sailor 350 miles off the coast of Peru, having lost control of their steering due to a damaged rudder.
The pair were forced to return to shore, reset and replace the rudder ahead of restarting their voyage from La Punta, Lima, Peru.
The Seas The Day team will go again tomorrow to avoid the start of the Pacific cyclone season.
Jess says they're hopeful they can avoid the same problem again with the rudder:
This challenge will take up to 6 months to complete, covering 8000 miles from Peru to Australia.
The pair plan to row 15 hours a day - two hours on, two hours off - adjusting the pattern as they go onboard their boat Velocity - which is a 9m long Rossiter Ocean 2 Rowing Boat.
When they are not rowing, they will be eating (around 5,000 calories per day) or attempting to sleep.
The team is aiming to raise £50,000 for the Outward Bound Trust, a UK-based charity which helps children develop lifelong skills through adventure.
The team are experienced rowers, having met in 2022 in the Canary Islands when they were preparing for The World's Toughest Row – previously known as the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge – for which they rowed 3,000 miles across the Atlantic.
