Dundee Uni students aiming to set rowing world record

A team of Dundee University students are attempting to write themselves into the Guinness World Record Book this week.

A group of 12 student rowers are aiming to set the record for ‘distance rowed by 12 females on a single indoor machine within the period of 24 hours.’

Their effort gets underway at 8pm on Thursday 28th March with the team aiming to fundraise to help buy essential equipment and to support the Dundee Women’s Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre.

In order to achieve a record-breaking distance the competitors will need to row more than 250 kilometres within the time allowed.

However, given their success on the water this year, Eleanor Pandya, the club President and final year Economics and Politics student, says the team are confident of making history.

“If you’d asked us last year what we were aiming to achieve then going for a world record definitely wouldn’t be on that list, but the club has gone from strength to strength.

“We’ve won at every event we’ve attended, including winning ten medals at the Scottish Indoor Rowing Championships in November.

“We feel we have done all we can to get ready for a world record challenge but now we need the public to help us guarantee that it is legitimate.

“Witnesses for the attempt must not have any affiliation to the University or the club as stipulated in the Guinness World Record guidelines, but anyone else who can offer their time can help observe us making our stake for a world-record.”

The attempt follows a year of success on the water for the team, who recently won in the intermediate four and double at Scottish Student Sport's Head Race in Inverness.

Hannah Campbell, club captain and third-year Mechanical Engineering student said: “If you mentioned Dundee even just 12 months ago we weren’t hugely well known in the UK - Scottish Rowing scene, but now after our clean sweep at the indoor championships we have our eyes set on Henley Women's Regatta which takes place in June.

“Not only would this be a first time for us girls attending such a huge event in the rowing calendar but we would be the first ever crew from the University to compete.

“Some of our girls are also going for Team Scotland selection this summer, so it’s been a whirlwind of a semester for all of us.

“We are proud to represent Dundee and Scotland in our ventures and we hope that with the right support to see us through our world record attempt, we can continue to showcase the athletic talent of our University."