Six female ocean rowers celebrating setting a world record

Team Ithaca has rowed non-stop and unsupported for the last 44 days

19 July 2023

6 min read

A team of six ocean rowers has set a new Guinness World Record for the fastest female team to complete the .

They鈥檝e battled torrential rain, strong winds, lightning and thunder, while rowing two hours on and two hours off for the last 44 days. 

Departing from Tower Bridge in London on 4 June, the crew of 鈥楾eam Ithaca鈥 has rowed continuously and unsupported for 2,000 miles around the entire coast of Great Britain. 

Skipper, Emma Wolstenholme, said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e absolutely ecstatic that we have broken the world record and a little bit relieved that it鈥檚 all over after the constant headwinds down the East coast. The GB coastline is beautiful and I feel privileged to have seen it from the water. 

鈥淢y highlight has been seeing the team dig deep, as I pushed them hard in often harsh conditions and my low came when we realised we weren鈥檛 going to make a Tuesday finish due to even more headwinds, with family already at the finish line waiting for us. I鈥檓 looking forward to being able to walk around, have showers and also to sleep in a bed!鈥

Ocean rowing boat heading towards Tower Bridge, London

The intrepid rowers head towards the finish line after 44 days at sea

In addition to completing this remarkable feat, the team has collected valuable data on microplastics, temperature, noise pollution and biodiversity, which will be analysed by scientists at the 1024核工厂.

They鈥檝e collected microplastics using a specially designed sampling system, thanks to an innovative collaboration between 1024核工厂 scientists, and engineers from and .

Dr Fay Couceiro, expert in biogeochemistry and environmental pollution at the 1024核工厂, said: "I鈥檓 delighted to see all the rowers back safe and sound, beating a world record no less! This is an amazing achievement on its own, made more so by their commitment to collect an incredible scientific dataset whilst rowing. 

鈥淭he team has collected over 1,000 hours of underwater sound data, over 80 eDNA samples for biodiversity analysis, over 40 microplastic pollution samples, and a comprehensive UK wide sea surface temperature data set during the worst marine heatwave we have experienced. I am truly thankful for their fortitude in collecting this data for us, and I am eager to get the samples and data back to our labs for analysis."

I鈥檓 delighted to see all the rowers back safe and sound, beating a world record no less! This is an amazing achievement on its own, made more so by their commitment to collect an incredible scientific dataset whilst rowing. 

 

Dr Fay Couceiro, Reader in Biogeochemistry and Environmental Pollution

Their boat 鈥楥hallenger鈥 has recorded 2.8 terabytes of underwater noise pollution data. 

Ryan Mowat, Director of Fisheries and Research from RS Aqua, said: 鈥淯sing our new Porpoise OB1 underwater noise recorder has meant that for the first time they are recording high fidelity underwater noise without pause throughout their journey. 

鈥淭his is a world first and opens lots of opportunities for research. The data will help us study wildlife, such as whales and dolphins, and identify noise pollution along our coastline.鈥

The team is also collecting temperature data using a fin-embedded sensor. 

Ryan added: 鈥淏y comparing this year's data with those of previous years, researchers hope to gain insight into how the warming of the oceans has affected patterns and behaviours of marine life around the UK.

鈥淢assive kudos to the incredible team of the 2023 challenge who鈥檝e smashed the previous record.鈥 

Samples of Environmental DNA (eDNA) were collected using an automatic pumping system, which will provide data on biodiversity. 

Six female ocean rowers celebrating setting a world record

L-R: Maggie Hodge, Emma Haxell, Amy L Wood, Emma Wolstenholme, Clair Fennessy and Sandra Gates

GB Row Challenge Founder, William de Laszlo, has completed the challenge twice. He said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 just awesome to have the rowers home after 44 days at sea, what a team! They have shown exceptional resilience, unwavering determination and an unbreakable spirit. 

鈥淭he data they have collected is mind-blowing and we look forward to the impact report, which will build on last year鈥檚 data giving us an even better picture of the many challenges facing British coastal waters.

鈥淰iewing the UK from the outside in is an amazing adventure and they have navigated complex tidal streams, shipping lanes, and of course our wonderful British weather, to complete the world鈥檚 toughest rowing race and help protect this beautiful diverse island we live on.

鈥淲ith every stroke of the oar they鈥檝e shown dedication to making a positive impact on the environment by collecting data that will help us to understand our fragile ocean ecosystems. Great job Team Ithaca, you have made Great Britain proud.鈥  

Ben Green, Harwin鈥檚 Head of Sustainability, added: 鈥淭he performance by Team Ithaca has been nothing short of exceptional. We're proud to support their endeavour and look forward to seeing the results of the vital data they've gathered."