Atlantic Rowing Race

The Atlantic Rowing Race is an ocean rowing race from the Canary Islands to the West Indies, a distance of approximately 2,550 nm (2,930 statute miles or 4,700 km). The race was founded in 1997 by Sir Chay Blyth with subsequent races roughly every two years since. The early races were run by Challenge Business Ltd. until the race was bought by Woodvale Events Ltd., managed by Simon Chalk, in October 2003. In May 2012, Atlantic Campaigns SL, managed by Carsten Heron Olsen bought the rights to the Atlantic Rowing Race, now called The "Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge" – The World's Toughest Row. Since 2015, the race has been held annually starting each December.

1997 – Port St. Charles Rowing Race

 * Departure Port: Playa San Juan, Tenerife
 * Arrival Port: Port St. Charles, Barbados
 * Race Start: 12 October 1997
 * Teams Starting: 30
 * Teams Finishing: 24
 * Categories: Pairs
 * Winning Boat: Kiwi Challenge
 * Team Name: Kiwi Challenge
 * Country: 🇳🇿
 * Rowers: Rob Hamill and Phil Stubbs
 * Time: 41 days, 2 hours, and 55 minutes

2001 – Ward Evans Atlantic Rowing Race

 * Departure Port: Playa San Juan, Tenerife
 * Arrival Port: Port St. Charles, Barbados
 * Race Start: 7 October 2001
 * Teams Starting: 36
 * Teams Finishing: 33
 * Categories: Pairs
 * Winning Boat: Telecom Challenge 1
 * Team Name: Telecom Challenge 1
 * Country: 🇳🇿
 * Rowers: Matt Goodman and Steve Westlake
 * Time: 42 days, 4 hours, and 3 minutes

2003 – Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race

 * Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera
 * Arrival Port: Port St. Charles, Barbados
 * Race Start: 19 October 2003
 * Teams Starting: 17
 * Teams Finishing: 14
 * Categories: Singles, Pairs
 * Winning Boat:
 * Team Name: Holiday Shoppe Challenge
 * Country: 🇳🇿
 * Rowers: James Fitzgerald and Kevin Biggar
 * Time: 40 days, 4 hours, and 3 minutes

2004 – Ocean Rowing Society Atlantic Rowing Regatta

 * Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera
 * Arrival Port: English Harbour, Antigua
 * Race Start: 20 January 2004
 * Teams Starting: 13
 * Teams Finishing: 12
 * Categories: Singles, Pairs, 1x Four
 * Winning Boat:
 * Team Name: Atlantic-4
 * Country: 🇬🇧
 * Rowers: David Martin, Neil Wightwick, Glynn Coupland, and George Simpson
 * Time: 49 days, 14 hours, 21 minutes

2005 – Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race
For more race details, see: 2005 Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race
 * Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera
 * Arrival Port: English Harbour, Antigua
 * Race Start: 30 November 2005
 * Teams Starting: 27
 * Teams Finishing: 20
 * Categories: Singles, Pairs, Fours
 * Winning Boat:
 * Team Name: C2
 * Country: 🇬🇧
 * Rowers: Clint Evans and Chris Andrews
 * Time: 52 days, 2 hours, 10 minutes

2007 – Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race
For more race details, see: 2007 Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race
 * Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera
 * Arrival Port: English Harbour, Antigua
 * Race Start: 2 December 2007
 * Teams Starting: 22
 * Teams Finishing: 20
 * Categories: Singles, Pairs, Fours
 * Winning Boat:
 * Team Name: Pure Vida
 * Country: 🇬🇧
 * Rowers: John Cecil-Wright, Robbie Grant, Tom Harvey, and Carl Theakston
 * Time: 48 Days, 2 hours, 52 minutes

2009/2010 – Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race

 * Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera
 * Arrival Port: Antigua
 * Race Start: 4 January 2010 (Race delayed by a month)
 * Teams Starting: 7 Solos, 20 Pairs, 3 Fours, 1 team of 12
 * Teams Finishing: 20
 * Categories: Singles, Pairs, Fours
 * Winning Boat: JJ (Insure & Go)
 * Team Name: Charlie Pitcher
 * Country: 🇬🇧
 * Rowers: Charlie Pitcher
 * Time: 52 days 6 hours and 47 minutes

2011 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge

 * Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera
 * Arrival Port: Port St. Charles, Barbados
 * Race Start: 5 December 2011
 * Teams Starting: 17
 * Teams Finishing: 11
 * Categories: Singles, Doubles, Fours, Fives, and Sixes
 * Winning Boat: Box No 8
 * Team Name: Box No 8
 * Country: 🇬🇧
 * Rowers: Toby Iles and Nick Moore
 * Time: 40 days, 9 hours, 15 minutes

2013 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge

 * Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera
 * Arrival Port: Antigua
 * Race Start: 4 December 2013
 * Teams Starting: 17
 * Teams Finishing: 11
 * Categories: Singles, Doubles, Trios, Fours, Fives
 * Winning Boat: Locura
 * Team Name: Team Locura
 * Country: 🇬🇧
 * Rowers: Tom Salt and Mike Burton
 * Time: 40 days, 2 hours, 38 minutes, 54 seconds

2015 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge

 * Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera
 * Arrival Port: Antigua
 * Race Start: 20 December 2015
 * Teams Starting: 26
 * Teams Finishing: 26
 * Categories: Singles, Doubles, Trios, Fours
 * Winning Boat: Ocean Reunion
 * Team Name: Ocean Reunion
 * Country: 🇬🇧
 * Rowers: Angus Collins, Gus Barton, Joe Barnett, Jack Mayhew
 * Time: 37 days, 9 hours, 12 minutes

2016 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge

 * Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera
 * Arrival Port: Antigua
 * Race Start: 14 December 2016
 * Teams Starting: 12
 * Teams Finishing: 11
 * Categories: Singles, Doubles, Trios, Fours
 * Winning Boat: American Spirit
 * Team Name: Latitude 35
 * Country: Mixed (🇺🇸 and 🇬🇧)
 * Rowers: Jason Caldwell (USA), Matthew Brown (USA), Angus Collins (UK), Alex Simpson (UK)
 * Time: 35 days, 14 hours, 3 minutes (New Race Record)

2017 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge

 * Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera
 * Arrival Port: English Harbour, Antigua
 * Race Start: 14 December 2017
 * Teams Starting: 26
 * Teams Finishing: 22
 * Categories: Singles, Doubles, Trios, Fours
 * Winning Boat: Aegir
 * Team Name: The Four Oarsmen
 * Country: 🇬🇧
 * Rowers: George Biggar, Peter Robinson, Stuart Watts, Richard Taylor
 * Time: 29 days, 14 hours, 34 minutes (New Race Record)

2018 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge

 * Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera
 * Arrival Port: English Harbour, Antigua
 * Race Start: 12 December 2018
 * Teams Starting: 28
 * Teams Finishing:  27
 * Categories: Singles, Doubles, Trios, Fours, Fives
 * Winning Boat: Rose
 * Team Name: Dutch Atlantic Four
 * Country:
 * Rowers: Marcel Ates, Erik Koning, David de Bruijn, Bart Adema
 * Time: 34 days, 12 hours, 9 minutes

2019 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge

 * Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera
 * Arrival Port: English Harbour, Antigua
 * Race Start: 12 December 2019
 * Teams Starting: 35
 * Teams Finishing: 35
 * Categories: Singles, Doubles, Trios, Fours, Fives
 * Winning Boat:
 * Team Name: Fortitude IV
 * Country: 🇬🇧
 * Rowers: Oliver Palmer, Tom Foley, Hugh Gilum, Max Breet
 * Time: 32 days, 12 hours, 35 minutes, 2 seconds 2019 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge
 * Diversity: In 2019 the first Black team and the first Caribbean team completed the challenge. The team was composed of Christal Clashing, Samara Emmanuel, Kevinia Francis and Elvira Bell-Bailey. Three of the team, named Antigua Island Girls, went on to compete in and finish the 2023 inaugural World's Toughest Row-Pacific, using the funds raised to establish a home for girls in conflict with the law.

2021 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge

 * Departure Port: San Sebastián de la Gomera
 * Arrival Port: English Harbour, Antigua
 * Race Start: 12 December 2021
 * Teams Starting: 36
 * Teams Finishing: 35
 * Categories: Singles, Doubles, Trios, Fours, Fives
 * Winning Boat:
 * Team Name: SWISS RAW
 * Country:
 * Rowers: Roman Moeckli, Ingvar Groza, Samuel Widmer, Jan Hurni
 * Time: 34 days, 23 hours, 42 minutes 2021 – Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge

Current Race Records
Ocean rowing records for The Atlantic Rowing Race are maintained by Ocean Rowing Stats.