Ocean Rowing Statistics
* Total number of successful solo ocean rows - 68
* Atlantic E-W successful solo rows - 45
* Total number of ocean rows (multiple crew) - 174
* Number of successful Australian ocean rowers - 3
* Number of Australian single handed ocean rowers - 0
* Number of successful Asia Pacific ocean rowers - 12
* Number of Asia Pacific single handed ocean rowers - 1
A Brief History of Ocean Rowing
Rowing oceans is one of the toughest sporting feats known to mankind. The first known rowing expedition to complete an ocean crossing was by George Harbo and Frank Samuelson, both Norwegian immigrants to the United States. Between June 6 and August 1, 1896, these two hardy men left Battery Park in Manhattan, New York in an open boat and rowed in 55 days across the Atlantic Ocean to the Isles of Scilly in south western corner of England. Not content with this they set out again the following day to row to Coverack Cove. They then took a tow from a steamer to their intended destination Le Havre. Their journey was incredible and a comprehensive daily log of the journey has been published in the book Daring the Sea which recounts their experience.
The next successful row to be completed across an ocean did not occur until 1966 when John Ridgway and Sir Chay Blyth rowed from Cape Cod to Ireland in 92 days.
Chay Blyth went on to begin the Challenge Business and enabled many more people to take up the oars when he inaugurated the races for which Charmed Life was built. He was knighted in 1997. John Ridgeway runs an outward bound school in the North West of Scotland.
To date, there have been 56 unsuccessful attempts to row the Atlantic with 8 ending in fatalities. However, 178 boats have successfully completed ocean crossings of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Of these, only 56 have been solo attempts. To date, no Australian has successfully rowed any ocean solo.
Pete Collett is hoping to become the first!
