Challenge | Girls Who Dare

ROWING 2,400 MILES

In June 2020 the crew will depart from California to row, unaided, to Hawaii.

THE BOAT

The crew will live on the boat for the entire journey, which is expected to take around 50 days.

There is a cabin at each end for sleeping with rowing positions in the middle. All of the navigation and communication equipment is housed in the cabins including VHF radio, satnav, InReach and charts.

The size of a single bed, these cabins are tight and get damp very quickly, but they're water-tight to provide safety in the event of a storm. The floors are padded (no bed or mattress) and sleeping bags keep the crew warm during rest periods.

LIFE ON BOARD

Life will be lived in 2 hour shifts; 2 hours of rowing, and then 2 of sleeping, and repeat. For 50 days.

The main part of the journey will be rowing, on the oars for 12 hours every day. When they finish a shift the crew will have some food (mostly freeze-dried meals and energy bars), get changed out of their wet kit into slightly less wet kit, quick wash with a baby wipe and into a sleeping bag.

The alarm goes on for 1hr 30mins, they drift off, and then wake up to crewmates shouting their name; quick change into the wet kit, life jacket over the top, an arm goes out of the cabin to clip on to the safety harness and out they come for the next shift.

SUPPORT

The crossing is part of the Great Pacific Race; the world's toughest endurance race.

With other crews going through the preparation and training, there will be support and solidarity amongst the teams in the build-up to the crossing.

The race itself has a support boat following the crews in case of emergency. If the support boat is used, the crew is disqualified.

Before they get to the start line Girls Who Dare will have undergone intensive training, including advanced navigation, sea survival, VHF Radio, first aid at sea and more. You can follow their preparation on instagram @girls.who.dare

Recognising that the main challenge is mental, a sports coach has been engaged to help the crew build the resilience they will need on the water.

THE JOURNEY

Week 1: In the first week the crew will be battling seasickness and adjusting to life on board; a new routine without the comforts of home. They'll also be pushing against bad conditions with the wind and tide trying to push them back onto land.

Week 2: As they start to get used to life on board, things change. The mental side really starts to kick in for the second week as they miss friends and family and inevitably question why they are there.

Week 7: That first glimpse of land will bring a sense of elation at succeeding and disappointment that the adventure is over. The peace of being at sea with nobody around will be replaced with cheers and hugs from family and friends as they dock at Honolulu, ready to take their first bite of fresh food in 50 days.

Kat, Vicki, Fiona and Anna will never look at the ocean the same way again.

Week 3: As life becomes easier, so do the conditions. By the third week they should be in better weather, with warmer seas and following winds. Unfortunately the barnacles are starting to form on the boat by now, which means a dip into shark infested waters every few days.

The waves are picking up, with previous crews reporting 40ft waves which are quite intimidating in a 24ft boat. The crew is now severely sleep deprived.

Week 5: Nearing Hawaii the weather heats up, suntans are needing a lot of attention and bum sores are causing pain with every stoke. Equipment failures will have happened by this point; which could be anything, so the crew has to be totally prepared for not knowing what will happen.

Despite all of this, the adventure and team spirit will see them through. There will be times of laughing, crying, singing and dancing. All they can do is dig deep and rely on eachother to get to the end.

Challenge, Drive, Inspire

The purpose is to empower others to push for their dreams, move out of their comfort zones and reap the lifelong benefits to body and mind that sport can bring.

Dream. Dare. Do.

WORLD RECORD

50 days, 19 hours, 14 minutes.

The crew is aiming to break the current world record for a women's open 4.