Hampshire woman breaks new rowing world record with friend
The pair rowed 3,000 miles in 45 days with no previous rowing or ocean experience
A woman from Hampshire, along with her friend from Gloucestershire, have shattered a world record for rowing across the Atlantic, having had no previous ocean or rowing experience.
Charlotte Harris, from Fleet, and Jessica Oliver, from Dowdeswell, rowed a gruelling 3,000 miles from La Gomera in the Canary Islands, to the English Harbour in the Caribbean island of Antigua in just 45 days, 7 hours and 25 minutes, knocking five days off the previous female pairs record.
The friends, who took part in the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge, arrived in Antigua Wednesday afternoon followed into the harbour by dolphins, and greeted by rapturous applause and an emotional quayside welcome from friends and family who had flown out to celebrate their success.
Considered the world’s toughest row, Jessica and Charlotte were one of the first women pairs to complete the Challenge since 2012, racing against 35 other teams from around the world.
As they stepped off their boat ‘Cosimo’ on to dry land, they said they felt exhausted but exhilarated, having rowed two hours on, two hours off continuously since 12th December 2021.
Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio, Charlotte described the nights at sea
"At nighttime it's pitch black and the whole sky just lights up with the stars, and when you put the oars in there's this bioluminescence - it's the algae that lights up when it's disturbed. So every time you're doing the oars, the sea is lighting up, you've got the stars and shooting stars, and then a dolphin came as well. So you can just hear the dolphin riding next to you and I was like 'Am I in a movie? This is just unbelievable'. It was those kinds of moments which actually made that just so so special."
Describing the overall experience as unreal, Jessica and Charlotte had to contend with 30ft waves, which capsized their boat at one point, sleep deprivation, bouts of hallucination, severe heat, blisters and callouses on their hands, sharks, and birds flying into their faces - as Charlotte explains.
"It was very rough weather. I went out at night, I was on my 3am-5am shift and I got out there, and at 3:15am I looked at my left and heard this roar of water, and a wall of white and I just thought 'Oh here we go...!'
"It just threw us over. Interesting enough, I'd spoken to my coach that day about capsize and he said that what we need to do is relax. So I just relaxed into the water.
"It was interesting because it was so loud but then went to silence because you're underwater. Then I popped up, Jessica just comes out of the cabin, naked as the day she was born, and she's like "Are you okay?!"
"Actually it wasn't such a bad experience. But it was quite scary. And then we also crashed into another boat for the first time ever in the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic challenge history, that again was in the middle of night."
The pair had no rowing or ocean experience prior to this, but it didn't stop them from breaking a world record.
“Having had no rowing or Ocean experience, we’re amazed that we even completed the challenge, let alone set a new world record … and we’re still friends at the end of it despite being at sea for months in a tiny boat,” laughed Charlotte.
“It shows that you really can do anything you put your mind to, which has always been our motto as friends since University, and we hope it helps inspire others.”
The women are raising money for Shelter and Women’s Aid after cases of homelessness and domestic abuse rocketed during the pandemic, and have so far raised over £42,000.
They will also be holding a black tie Charity Ball on 13th May in London to continue to raise money for both charities.
When asked what their next challenge will be, Charlotte and Charlotte said: “It would have to be something extreme like a trek through the desert.
"Our friendship has always been dotted with incredible challenges, from marathons to triathlons, but the Atlantic Challenge experience is going to be a tough one to beat.”