East Yorkshire Woman Starts 8000 Mile Pacific Rowing Challenge

An all women rowing team have set of from Peru on an 8000 mile unsupported row across the Pacific

Miriam Payne, 25 years old from East Yorkshire and Jess Rowe, 28 years old from Hampshire have started their record-breaking attempt to become both the first women’s team and the first pair* to row the entire Pacific non-stop and unsupported.

The pair departed from La Punta, Lima, Peru at 0945am local time (1545GMT) on Tuesday for the 8000-mile row across the Pacific and are expected to arrive in eastern Australia in 150-200 days.

The morning started with a drizzle of rain, which for some in the maritime community is a sign of good luck.

They plan to row 15 hours a day - two hours on, two hours off - adjusting the pattern as they go. When they are not rowing, they will be eating (around 5,000 calories a day) or catching whatever sleep they can.

Along the way, they will navigate shipping lanes, face 30ft+ waves, battle blisters and salt sores and are likely to encounter sharks and whales.

“To be honest, we can’t wait,” said Miriam as they left shore. 

“We’ve trained hard, worked hard on the boat and are now ready to take on whatever lies ahead.

“We both know that it’s going to be tough. Sleep deprived and hungry. Waves crashing over the boat with the constant worry we’ll flip over. It can be terrifying.

“However, all of that doesn’t take away from the sunsets, spectacular night skies, wildlife encounters and the feeling of overcoming the impossible. Out on that ocean it is us against the power of nature – and that’s just how we like it!”

The team are aiming to raise £50,000 for the Outward Bound Trust, a UK-based charity which helps children develop lifelong skills through adventure.

The team will spend the next 6 months in their boat, Velocity, a 9m long Rossiter Ocean 2 Rowing Boat. The boat is laden with safety and communications equipment, 200+ days of food including specially formulated vitamin sprays for each of them from British company BetterYou and SaltStick electrolytes to help recovery between rows.

The team are also carrying technologies on board to help them physically cope with the demands of the voyage. On board they will have a Nurosym’s system that uses targeted electrical impulses via the Vagus Nerve for neuromodulation to help them keep calm and have consistent energy and peak biological performance throughout.

Additionally, British company Home Harvest have developed an on-board growing unit so that they can have a sustainable and reliable supply of nutritious leaves and microgreens during the row.

The team are experienced rowers having met in 2022 in the Canary Islands when they were preparing for The World’s Toughest Row – previously known as the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge – for which they rowed 3,000 miles across the Atlantic. On that occasion, Jess’s team won the women’s event and Miriam won the solo women’s event in a record time.

On the row ahead of them Jess Rowe comments 

“After the Atlantic we both wanted to target a bigger challenge for ourselves but also to inspire other young people and women into their fullest potentials.

“It has been a tough process getting to the start line, but we are grateful to the incredible companies and people who have backed us and hopefully we can encourage a few more people to support along the way.”

Miriam adds 

“We are under no delusions about how significant the challenge ahead is and how so many factors are out of our control in terms of weather, sea conditions and the other dangers present in the open ocean. We are just going to take it day by day and put our all into getting to the finish safely.”

To follow the team’s progress during the row, visit their website that has a live tracker at https://www.seasthedayoceanrowing.com/the-team

To support their GiveStar charitable appeal for the Outward Bound Trust please https://givestar.io/gs/AGS4ZMK

The Team would like to thank their partners that include; Howden’s, BetterYou, AVA, Branding Science, Coastin, Dock & Bay, Evotix, Home Harvest, Indigo Marine, Nurosym, Parajumpers, SaltStick, Secerna, Sovereign Cargo Ltd, SunGod, Trailfinders, YPI and Zhik, as well as all the supporters who have helped enable the attempt.

To sponsor the team, who due to a customs delay and unforeseen events in Peru, that even required help of British Embassy and Peruvian Navy to overcome, have been hit with thousands of unexpected costs please visit their crowdfunder at https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/seastheday