Devon crews celebrate New Year in the Atlantic with a dramatic turtle rescue

The third week of the World’s Toughest Row organised by Atlantic Campaigns has seen crews making good progress and celebrating the New Year in the middle of the Atlantic.

Conditions continue to be helpful with a following wind and waves providing a much better start to the crossing than was experienced last year.

Amongst the crews there are two Devon rowers, Clare O’Reilly from Wembury who was at Dartmouth Regatta this year with her trio crew ‘Row with the Flow’ and Jess Smiles from Saunton, who is rowing in a pair named ‘Atlantic Highway’ named after the highway through North Devon.

The Swiss crew ’44 West’ still lead the race and have completed over 1,800 nautical miles. ‘Atlantic Highway’ are 12th and have rowed over 1,400 nautical miles. They lead the women’s class and are 3rd in the pairs. ‘Row with the Flow’ are 18th having rowed over 1,200 nautical miles and are second in the women’s class and 4th in the trios.

Crews have also taken the opportunity to undertake hull cleans this week, which are essential. Crews carefully scrape away growth to regain speed, always clipped on and with a shark watch in place!

There has been a Mid-Atlantic rescue no-one was expecting! While rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic, Team ‘Call to Earth’ found a turtle tangled in a drifting fishing net. This is the reality of plastics and ghost gear in our oceans. A small moment with a massive impact.

Well done team ‘Call to Earth’.

Many of you following the race have probably heard of the phrase ROW · EAT · SLEEP · REPEAT, but is that really all there is?

After roughly two hours of rowing, the typical shift pattern, it’s time to refuel. Rowers burn between 4,000-7,000 calories a day, relying on high-calorie meals and snack packs filled with things they’d normally avoid such as chocolate, sweets, nuts and more.

Between rowing and eating, there’s plenty to do such as sending content back via Starlink, checking in with the Safety Officers, calling family, fixing gear, treating blisters and sore backsides, even washing clothes or grabbing a rare hair wash.

Then there are the moments that make it all worthwhile - sunrises, sunsets, star-filled night skies, and unforgettable wildlife encounters. Dolphins, whales, turtles, mahi-mahi… and of course the most frequent visitors of all - flying fish, which seem determined to join the crews onboard, day and night!

Forty-three ocean rowing boats with 114 ocean rowers representing 20 nations left San Sebastian de La Gomera on December 14 in the 2025 race, a 3,000 mile unsupported rowing race across the Atlantic Ocean west from San Sebastian in La Gomera in the Canary Islands (280N 180W) to Nelson’s Dockyard in English Harbour, Antigua & Barbuda (170N 610W). The 43 competing crews are made up of 10 solos, 11 pairs, 6 trios and 16 fours.