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Jamie, Ewan, and Lachlan Maclean from Edinburgh set a world record rowing nonstop from Peru to Cairns in 139 days, raising funds for the Maclean Foundation’s clean water projects.
Scottish brothers, Ewan, Jamie and Lachlan, Maclean react after completing their record-breaking row from Peru across the Pacific Ocean to Cairns, Australia, on Saturday (AP)
In a significant accomplishment, three Scottish brothers have set a new world record of rowing non-stop and unsupported across the Pacific Ocean after almost 140 days at sea.
The three brothers– Jamie, Ewan, and Lachlan Maclean– from Edinburgh completed the 9,000-mile voyage from Peru to Australia’s Cairns in 139 days, five hours, and 52 minutes.
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The three rowed into the Cairns Marlin Marina playing the bagpipes and waving the Scottish, Australian and United Kingdom flags. They were greeted by over 50 friends and family members, including their mother Sheila, and fans upon their arrival on Saturday, nearly five months after setting off from Peru’s Lima on April 12, Associated Press reported.
With this accomplishment, they have become the first team to achieve the full crossing from South America to Australia.
The trio from Edinburgh endured storms, seasickness, injuries, and violent storms, including one that swept Lachlan overboard, while raising over GBP 700,000 (USD 945,690) toward a GBP 1 million (USD 1,350,450) target for clean water projects.
In the hours before their arrival, the eldest brother, Ewan, uploaded a video calling the marina ahead of their approach.
“Do you have pizza and beer? I repeat, do you have pizza and beer? Over.”
The 33-year-old said the journey was the hardest thing he had ever done, one he would have never contemplated without his siblings. “We’ve shed tears of joy and laughed till our cheeks hurt,” he said.
Middle brother Jamie, 31, said things began to look dire towards the end. “Things got tough towards the end, and we seriously thought we might run out of food. Despite how exhausted we were, we had to step up a gear and make it before supplies ran out, but now we get to eat proper food,” he said.
The brothers spent up to 14 hours a day rowing as they crossed the world’s largest ocean on their custom-built carbon fibre boat, Sky News reported.
The boat, which they helped design and build, is named Rose Emily in honour of their sister, who was lost during pregnancy.
Ewan and Jamie suffered crippling seasickness for the first two weeks of the journey.
The Macleans said the experience gave them a new perspective on life. They plan to continue fundraising as they aim to fund projects that provide clean water to 40,000 people living in Madagascar through the brothers’ charity, the Maclean Foundation.
The Macleans have already conquered the Atlantic, setting three world records in the process.
The previous record for the fastest full, unassisted, nonstop Pacific row was 160 days, set by Russian solo rower Fyodor Konyukhov in 2014.
(With inputs from agencies)
About the Author
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben…Read More
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben… Read More
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