Photo: Mayflower crew

The World’s Toughest Row – Atlantic Challenge, a 3,000 mile race across the Atlantic Ocean from San Sebastian in La Gomera, Canary Islands to Nelson’s Dockyard, Antigua, is billed as the ultimate test of endurance and adventure. In addition to facing huge waves and extreme weather, the rowing teams must also contend with one of the less expected risks of open ocean rowing — being attacked by marlin.

In this year’s race, two of the four-person rowing teams have had their boat’s hulls pierced by the bills of marlin in the Atlantic.  On Boxing Day, the Team Graft boat was struck by a marlin which skewered the hull, flooding one compartment. Fortunately, the fish’s beak missed the crew. They were able to repair the damage in about three hours and to get back in the race.

About three weeks later, the Team Mayflower boat was also punctured by a marlin. Speaking to BBC Radio Devon from the Atlantic, crew member Dan Wooler said: “I guess it was the middle of the afternoon on Saturday, there was an almighty crunch…

“I looked down and it was only a foot away from me, the water was bubbling up and suddenly there was blood everywhere.”

Mr Wooler said the crew did not know if the blood had come from the marlin or the tuna it had been hunting around the vessel.

“He [the boat’s skipper Glynne Dunn] suddenly shouted we’re taking on water and started pulling kit out of the cabin,” Mr Wooler added.

“The hole was huge, there was water literally gushing in.

“The spike not only went into the cabin footwell but it also penetrated the deck of the boat from beneath, through the fiberglass, and then a couple of layers to get to the deck.

“If he’d been a foot the other way it would have gone through his leg, unquestionably, I don’t know what we would have done.”

They were able to patch the hole in the boat’s hull and continue the race.

Team Graft and Team Mayflower completed the race, finishing 4th and 12th, respectively. Team Graft raised money for Ronald McDonald House charities, which provide accommodation for the families of sick children. The Mayflower Team raised money for the Star Scheme and the Mustard Tree Cancer Support Centre.

For the last several years we have followed the still largely unexplained behavior of pods of orcas attacking sailboats along the Iberian Peninsula. Orcas are, however, apparently not the only threat to small ocean-going vessels.

In the World’s Toughest Row – Atlantic Challenge there have been multiple marlin attacks in recent years. In the 2023-2024 race, the Vibe the Wave team boat of three women rowers were repeatedly struck by a marlin.  They weree able to plug a hole in their boat’s hull with a champagne bottle.  In the 2022-2023 race, the Team Wrekin Rowers boat was also damaged by a marlin strike. In the 2020/21 race, there were four marlin strikes reported.

Thanks to Alaric Bond for contributing to this post.