We recently posted about Ananya Prasad who completed the 2024-2025 World’s Toughest Row – Atlantic Challenge, a 4,800-km race across the Atlantic Ocean from the Canary Islands to Antigua, in 52 days. Ms Prasad, 34, born in India and raised in the UK, became the first woman of color to row solo and unsupported across any ocean.

We have learned that Ms Prasad was not the only woman breaking records for ocean rowing at the time.  Thanks to Chris Roche for passing along the news.

Zara Lachlan, 21, also from the UK, arrived in French Guiana on February 1, 2025, after rowing for 97 days 9 hours, and 20 minutes across the Atlantic Ocean from Lagos, Portugal. By doing so Ms Lachlan made history as the first female (and youngest person) to row solo, unsupported, and non-stop from mainland Europe to mainland South America. She’s only the second person in history to complete this 6,670-km voyage.

During the challenging voyage, Lachlan broke a finger, injured her arm, had a near-collision with another vessel, and dealt with brutal weather that snapped an oar, capsized her craft, and caused many equipment malfunctions.

“It was tough,” she told Women in Sport. “At some points, really tough. But it’s in those moments you find out what you’re really made of. In many ways, I didn’t really have a choice. I just had to grit my teeth and row.”

Ms Lachlan, who recently completed a degree in physics, will now join the British Army as a technical officer. She was supported in her epic voyage by Team Forces Foundation.

Major General Lamont Kirkland, CEO of Team Forces, said: “It’s been incredibly impressive to see that her focus has never wavered…It’s doubly astounding when you recall that this 21-year-old had never rowed a boat on the sea in her life until this year.”

Zara Lachlan: first woman to row from Europe to South America solo and unsupported