Artemis Rowing Team Crossing-paths with the QE2

On July 19th, we posted about the start of the Artemis North Atlantic Challenge when the Artemis Rowing Team set off from New York Harbor to break the 114 year old record for rowing across the Atlantic.    The previous record had been set by Norwegian fishermen George Harbo and Frank Samuelsen, who rowed across the Atlantic in 55 days, the first on record to have successfully completed the voyage.

The new record set by the Artemis team is 43 days, 21 hours, 26 minutes and 48 seconds!   Our congratulations to the Artemis Rowing Team captain and crew – Don Lennox, 41, from Glasgow; Ray Carroll, 33, from Galway and Livar Nysted from the Faroe Islands.

Rowers break 114-year-old north Atlantic crossing record

They battled 40ft waves, capsizes and food poisoning on their epic 43-day voyage.

But yesterday a British-led team of rowers smashed a 114-year world record for rowing across the north Atlantic from New York to the Scilly Isles.

The exhausted mariners did enjoy a few advantages over their pioneering predecessors, who completed their 1896 journey in 55 days.

While Norwegian fishermen George Harbo and Frank Samuelsen struggled in an oak-built boat, the new record-holders were commanding a vessel made from the toughest materials and packed with sophisticated safety equipment.

The new record time was set at 43 days, 21 hours, 26 minutes and 48 seconds.

As they finally reached the safety of St Mary’s Harbour on the Scilly Isles around 4pm, the four – two Scots, an Irishman and a Faroese – reflected on the trials that would have tested the most hardy of seamen.

Skipper Leven Brown, 37, from Edinburgh, told The Sunday Telegraph of their “harum scarum” 3500-mile voyage – and their pride at coming home in one piece with the record under their belts.

“We are all really exhausted. It’s been a helter skelter trip. It was very punishing on the body. We had two capsizes and two men thrown overboard.

“We were probably the most experienced team to take on the north Atlantic thus far – in a very small boat and in quite big weather,” he said.

For “big weather”, read force ten winds and terrifying 40ft waves. “It was a hell from hell at times,” he admits, as a flotilla gathered around them to see the boat, named Artemis Investments, home.

“When there’s 12 inches between you and waves like that, there’s only going to be one winner. But we were absolutely astounded at what she taking.

“There were very big seas. We were going down the sides of massive waves, 40ft waves, doing 15 knots. You can imagine what a steep face that is. When you’re slewing around, you’re either going to capsize or just get swamped.”

Other obstacles overcome by Mr Brown and his crew – Don Lennox, 41, from Glasgow; Ray Carroll, 33, from Galway and Livar Nysted, 39, from the Faroe Islands – include a brush with a fishing vessel in heavy seas and seriously upset stomachs – possibly caused, they reckoned, by a feast of Mars bars to mark the half-way point.

Twice the boat went over, both times leaving one of the crew in the ocean, although safety harnesses prevented them from becoming detached from the boat.