**Atlantic Ocean Rowing Achievements**
– Frank Samuelsen and George Harbo made the first deliberate row across the Atlantic in June 1896.
– John Ridgway, Chay Blyth, and Derek Paul King completed Atlantic crossings in 1966, 1969, and 1974, respectively.
– Kathleen and Curtis Saville were the first Americans to row across the Atlantic in 1981.
– Various records were set for solo, duo, and crew Atlantic crossings, including by Mark Slats, The Four Oarsmen, and Chinese women.
– Notable achievements include Tori Murden becoming the first woman to row any ocean solo in 1999 and Jari Saario being the first to row the Atlantic twice in 2023.
**Pacific Ocean Rowing Pioneers**
– John Fairfax and Sylvia Cook rowed from San Francisco to Australia in 1971-1972.
– Kathleen and Curtis Saville were the first to row from South America to Australia in 1984-1985.
– Notable Pacific Ocean rowers include Peter Bird, Roz Savage, and Patrick Quesnel.
– Erden Eruç set records for solo nonstop crossings and circumnavigations of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans.
– Fyodor Konyukhov rowed across the Pacific from Chile to Australia in 162 days without external help.
**Ocean Rowing Races and Challenges**
– Sir Chay Blyth initiated the first Atlantic Rowing Race in 1997.
– Races like the Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race and Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge have become significant events.
– The Great Pacific Race in 2014 saw participation from crews of various nationalities.
– John Beeden set records for rowing non-stop from North America to Australia, while Jacob Adoram Hendrickson achieved the longest solo, unassisted ocean row across the Pacific.
– Indian Ocean rowing achievements include Anders Svedlund’s first crossing in 1971 and Sarah Outen becoming the first solo woman rower in 2009.
**Notable Ocean Rowers and Records**
– Kenneth Crutchlow, Mark Slats, and The Four Oarsmen contributed significantly to popularizing ocean rowing.
– Records for fastest solo and duo Atlantic crossings were set by various individuals and teams.
– Youngest and oldest ocean rowers like Katie Spotz, Oliver Crane, and Gerard Marie have made notable achievements.
– Fastest Atlantic crossings were achieved by crews like Sara G and individuals like Bryce Carlson.
– Notable Pacific Ocean rowers include Jim Shekhdar, Chris Martin, and Mick Dawson.
**Unique Ocean Rowing Feats**
– Bhavik Gandhi became the first Asian to row the Atlantic solo in 2007.
– Leven Brown’s crew set a record for crossing the mid-Atlantic in 33 days.
– Diana Hoff holds the record as the oldest female solo ocean rower.
– Anna and Cameron Mclean became the first brother-sister team to row any ocean.
– The Great Pacific Race in 2014 involved various categories and nationalities, with Team Uniting Nations emerging as winners.
Ocean rowing is the sport of rowing across oceans. Some ocean rowing boats can hold as many as fourteen rowers; however, the most common ocean rowboats are designed for singles, doubles, and fours.
The history of ocean rowing is divided into two eras by the Ocean Rowing Society International, the official adjudicator of ocean rowing records for Guinness World Records. The first fourteen ocean rows, up to and including 1981, are considered historic ocean rows as they were completed with very limited, if any, modern technology. All subsequent rows are described as modern-day rows.