General Boat Articles

21-Year-Old Sets Transatlantic Rowing Record

Jasmine Harrison holds two flares signifying the successful completion of her world-record attempt.

Jasmine Harrison, 21, from Thirsk in North Yorkshire, England, became the youngest woman to row a boat solo across the Atlantic Ocean last February. She rowed from the Canary Islands to Antigua, covering the distance in 70 days, 3 hours and 48 minutes.

A Rookie

She performed the feat in a boat that’s 23’ long, weighs about a ton and has a small cabin where she slept. What makes the accomplishment more amazing is that Harrison was a relatively inexperienced rower before taking on the challenge. She was quoted as saying that her body told her to attempt the record and she decided that teaching herself a new skill at the same time made the competition more intriguing.

Harrison’s boat was 23’ long and weighed about a ton. She was accompanied by a boat from Talisker Whiskey, which sponsored the challenge.

Prior to her journey, she didn’t even know the boat could go backward. There were days when she would cover more than 60 miles, but on others, bad weather sent her in the wrong direction.

Unanticipated Challenges

She used an iPad and a phone, which broke during the trip, to navigate, but she said that part wasn’t that challenging because she knew she was on a straight course to the west. That being said, the whole trip offered up challenges. Harrison capsized twice. The first time, a rogue wave hit the side of the boat, sending her overboard until another swell tossed her back on deck.

Harrison supported two charities, Shelterbox, which helps displaced disaster victims and Blue Marine Foundation, a group dedicated to restoring the ocean to stop overfishing.

She said the first incident didn’t faze her, but then two days before the journey’s conclusion, a bigger wave hit, the boat, launching Harrison into the cabin. She hurt her head, lower back and elbow, which was the most difficult because it made it difficult to bend her elbow to row.

During the trip, Harrison experienced many encounters with wildlife, including dolphins, whales, carbs, squid, birds and many types of pelagics including triggerfish, dorado and pilotfish.