We were keen to speak with our latest Elite Funding recipient to find out how this epic battle against nature, time and tide went and what’s next on her very broad horizon.
Congratulations on this amazing achievement. How do you feel?
It feels quite surreal and already feels like it was a very long time ago, even though I've only been back for a month, less time than I was at sea! I definitely have some post-adventure blues. It feels strange to have been so focused on the row for the last three years and now it's done!
Photos by World's Toughest Row.
Photos by World's Toughest Row.
There were three of you, how long were you rowing for each day?
On a good day - when we had favourable conditions - we would row three hours on, three hours off so a total of 12 hours each day. On a bad day we changed our shift pattern to two hours on one off, or sometimes 1.30 on and 30 minutes off which meant we were each rowing for around 17-18 hours a day. Those were not fun days!!
What were you doing during your rest periods?
In an ‘off’ shift you had to do any jobs on the boat, including things like navigation, cooking, cleaning. You had to feed yourself and most importantly get all the salt water off you to try and prevent or manage salt sores, where the salt eats at your skin. All this meant that you probably had around 90 minutes to two hours to actually sleep when you were off. Some nights you’d be woken up multiple times if the AIS went off (the system that identifies other boats in the area that might be on a collision course) or if the auto steering stopped working. The autohelm was behind my head when I slept so I knew pretty quickly if the alarm was going off!
How did you relax when you weren’t rowing?
Mostly sleeping, eating and washing! Everything on a boat takes ten times longer than on land, so you don't have a lot of spare time. We had some great playlists that friends and family had made for us, although weirdly every single one of them had songs from the album Rumours by Fleetwood Mac! We went off them a bit...
What was your scariest moment?
Early on in the crossing we were pinned between two waves (the first of many times this would happen). Being side-on to some very big waves is not a good place to be! There were big waves rushing across the deck of the boat while we were fighting to get her turned around the right way. It's amazing how quickly you get used to these big conditions though.
We’re British, so of course we have to ask – How was the weather?
Bloody awful! We described the Atlantic as wetter than expected! We were in our full foul weather gear for pretty much the first two weeks and towards the end we had several days of huge squalls that would leave us completely soaking. That said, we also had some pretty glorious blue skies and sunshine and I have the best tan ever so shouldn't complain!
What was your most memorable moment?
Other than approaching the finish line, on Christmas day evening we had a pod of around 100 dolphins playing under the boat and following us for over an hour. This was incredible and felt like such a privilege that so few people would ever get to experience.
You planned well, did it all go to plan?
It did not! I think ocean rowing is the ultimate example of people make plans and god laughs. Our preparation definitely meant that we were in a really good position to respond when things went wrong but the weather conditions were pretty bad and we had real extremes of big waves and strong winds and then completely flat calm days that were just a slog. There's no planning for that really, you just have to deal with it. We also had some issues with things like lines getting wrapped around our rudder which required some creative problem solving, including a go pro duct taped to a boat hook!
You named your boat, Dolly Parton, how did she hold up?
She was an absolute gem. Dolly took such good care of us and other than breaking two oars on a single wave early on in the crossing we didn't have any damage to the boat.
How did you feel when you set foot on dry land again?
Wobbly! It took a couple of days to get the land legs back again. It was quite overwhelming seeing family and friends again after such a long time and especially processing that we'd been at sea for much longer than we'd originally hoped (we were aiming for around 40 days). It was a surreal feeling to be finished and on land as you start to feel like you’ll never get there, especially as we had a much slower run into the finish than usual on these kinds of crossings because of the weather conditions we were dealing with.
Is there anything you’d do differently?
Take a waterproof sleeping bag! We had condensation running down the cabin walls throughout the crossing and this meant mould grew EVERYWHERE. It was uncomfortable and frustrating as no amount of effort seemed to make any difference. You'd wipe down the walls before you went to sleep and an hour later you would wake up with your bedding soaking wet.
Any advice you’d give to someone hoping to give it a go?
I think just accepting that there are things you can't prepare for and however well you might plan there will always be things you can't anticipate. Some people talk about "conquering the ocean" - to me that's a bit ridiculous. The ocean is always going to win, the best you can hope for is making friends with her for a little bit.
What have your friends said about your epic achievement?
People have been so excited and a lot of people have said how much they have been inspired by our row, which feels amazing, but also weird! For the last three years we've existed in a kind of bubble of ocean rowing and spent a lot of time with other people that have done or are doing the same thing, so it's easy to forget that this is something that fewer than 400 women have ever done.
How much did you raise for your charities – The Thames Hospice and The DASH Charity?
We're still counting this up. Once we've sold Dolly and our equipment we will know exactly. It’s an ongoing fund as the work that both charities do is so important and never ends. So, if anyone would like to donate, there's still plenty of time and every penny is appreciated and put to good use.
Photos by World's Toughest Row.
So, what’s next?
At the moment I'm focusing on recovery. Getting back into the gym has been a humbling experience! But I'm not good without a project, so I'm sure I’ll sign up for something else soon - watch this space!
Follow in Rachel’s wake
Even if you’re not yet ready to take on the seven seas, you can still benefit from CSSC’s funding options. Whether you’re hoping to take on a global challenge, like Rachel, gain recognised sporting qualifications, or simply pick up a racket for the first time.
Photos by World's Toughest Row.
You can still donate at Rachel’s just giving page to help two extremely worthwhile causes.
The Elite Sponsorship Fund
Our Elite Sponsorship Fund helps support CSSC members who are representing their Nation with the associated costs of competing in sporting or athletic events, tournaments or competitions. Funding can assist towards equipment, kit, travel expenses and training fees. However, that’s not all it can do.
Some CSSC members, while not competing for their Nation, are attempting some incredible sporting challenges or adventures. Be that something amazing like swimming the channel or rowing the Atlantic like Rachel!
If you’d like to find out more about CSSC’s unique and exclusive Elite Sponsorship Fund, why not get inspired and read some of our amazing stories and apply today. Or, if the Elite fund is not quite right, explore some of our other amazing funding opportunities.
Find out more about the Elite Sponsorship Fund.
