The race started on Wednesday 11 December 2024 and Robert (centre) and his fellow TEAM V3NTURE oarsmen completed the crossing in the early hours of Tuesday 21 January 2025 in 40 days, 17 hours and 40 minutes. It would be interesting to know whether a Pilgrim and/or a Q has ever tackled this challenge before! The race rules require each team to be entirely self-sufficient and self-supporting. The team rowed in shift patterns (usually in pairs) which meant that each member rowed for 14 hours a day; and important routine tasks aboard their 9m boat – ‘Stephen’ – included keeping her solar panels clean for vital power generation for water desalination and communications, the daily boiling of water for dry rations and the regular clearing of barnacles from her hull (which involved swimming underwater). The team was accompanied by dolphins (occasionally) and visited by a storm petrel. They had hoped to see more whales, but were relieved to avoid being struck by a marlin (other boats were struck).

Of the 38 race starters, 36 boats (2 fives, 15 fours, 4 trios, 11 pairs and 4 solos) completed this year’s race in times ranging from 37½ days (the winning four) to 65½ days (a pair). The weather conditions were not kind in the first half of the race: a combination of adverse winds and Saharan dust clouds forced the fleet to track further south than usual. Nevertheless, for TEAM V3NTURE the achievements and statistics are impressive:

  • 1st in the trio category.
  • 7th overall (with only fours and fives ahead of them).
  • 2,826 nautical miles rowed – over 3,250 statute miles. To give some perspective, that’s further than rowing from Pilgrims’ to Boston on the east coast of the United States!
  • The first serving military trio to row any ocean.
  • The first to finish of the four military teams in the race.

Other highlights included a live interview on LBC Radio from mid-Atlantic and, since their return to dry land, television interviews on both ITV and Sky News and a whole episode devoted to them on the popular cricket podcast ‘Tailenders’.

TEAM V3NTURE is aiming to raise £200,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support (70%) and the three regimental charities (30%). They have raised over £100,000 to date and with approximately £85,000 to be added from the sale of the boat. Their target is in sight: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/macmillanv3

A huge thank you to Rob (left) and his Dad, James, for sharing this incredible journey with us. We can’t wait to welcome Rob back to Pilgrims’ to inspire the boys with more tales from his awe-inspiring Atlantic rowing adventure!

(Published: Lent 2025)