Photo: Will van Dorp

As many of us were watching Reid Stowe sail into New York harbor from his 1,000 day plus journey, a team of four intrepid rowers were apparently setting out in their attempt to break the 114 year old record set by Harbo and Samuelson in 1896 by crossing the Atlantic in a rowing boat.    Will from the Tugster blog snapped photos of the Artemis Ocean Rowing team as they set off on their third attempt.

From their website:

The current record of 55 days for crossing the North Atlantic in a rowing boat was set 114 years ago in 1896 by 2 Norwegian men Harbro & Samuelson. These two men rowed from New York to the Scilly Isles in an open 18’ skiff ‘The Fox’, the row was deemed to have completed at the Bishop’s Rock. A log supports this row and altho’ many attempts have been made by rowers in modern covered vessels the Norwegians record time of 55 days has never been bettered.

The Artemis North Atlantic Challenge is to beat this record completely unsupported. This means when the ’Team’ cast off from New York they can receive no help from any other vessel or person whatsoever until they have passed the Bishop Rock of the Scilly Isles. This will be an exciting but very daunting crossing as huge seas, poor weather conditions and icebergs may be encountered. Leven, Ray, Don & Livar have already rowed together but they will find the seas and the weather of North Atlantic rather different from the conditions of the ‘Trade winds’ route.