An Irish rowing team comprised of largely novice rowers accomplished an impressive feat recently as they successfully set a new World Record for completing the fastest crossing of the Atlantic by a team of five rowers.
By successfully rowing from the Canary Islands to Antigua in 33 days, 12 hours and 38 minutes, the Irish rowing team set a new World Record as they crossed the finish line of The Talisker Whisky Atlantic Rowing Challenge.
The team was comprised of Shane Culleton, Derek McMullen, Tom Nolan and brothers Diarmuid and Gearoid Ó Briain.
A record-breaking rowing team – setting a new world record
Rowing under the team name ‘Row Hard or Go Home 5’, the team of five Irishmen initially set sail from La Gomera in the Canary Islands on 12 December 2022.
They successfully beat the previous record held by a team called ‘The Ocean 5’, who completed the same race in 35 days, 19 hours and 50 minutes in January 2020.
When the ‘Row Hard or Go Home 5’ team were just 34 nautical miles from the shore, they captured the moment by posting a photo of a rainbow in the background with the caption “Lessons from the ocean: Every squall has a rainbow!!!”
Supporting each other through the challenges – a genuine team effort
One of the main reasons the team were so successful was that they all helped each other overcome any challenges that came their way, claiming that they found a rainbow in each other.
“I think we found a rainbow in each other; through the hard times, we backed each other up, and I’m just so proud to be involved with four amazing individuals like these guys beside me, and I wouldn’t row an ocean with anybody else,” Diarmuid Ó Briain said, as they stood triumphantly on the podium after completing the race.
When asked if he found the race challenging, Tom Nolan said: “It certainly was; on Christmas Day and the day before and after, we were in big storms and missing our families.”
Speaking to RTÉ News, Gearoid Ó Briain said, “People told us that food and lots of different things [would be missed], but the thing that we missed the most by far was our families.”
When they reached the shore after finishing the race, the team of five was greeted by family and friends which they hadn’t seen in over a month, and emotional scenes ensued.
Raising money for important charities – a worthwhile cause
The Irish rowing team raised money for two vital charities, the RNLI and the Laura Lynn Children’s Hospice. ‘Row Hard or Go Home 5’ was the first team of five to cross the finish line and finished the race in fifth place.
Two other Irish teams were competing, including a second team which rowed under the ‘Row Hard or Go Home’ banner called ‘Row Hard or Go Home 4’.
Between the two teams, a tremendous amount of money was raised for charities, with Mr Ó Briain saying, “Our target was €30,000, and when I woke up this morning, it was €46,000”.
