The world record holder for rowing solo across the Atlantic is returning to sea next week and is more prepared than ever. Mark Slats was unbelievably fast when he crossed from La Gomera to Antigua in 2017-18, finishing in 30 days , just 17 hours behind the overall world record, set by the Four Oarsmen the same year. This time, Slats is rowing in a pair, with Kai Weidmer, and already ocean rowers are beginning to speculate just how fast they could go. “There is pressure on my shoulders. People are looking to me as I broke the record. But I’m not sure if even in a pair we’ll break my own record,” Slats said. The Dutch pair are entered in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, a 4,800km race, departing on December 12. The entry fees is €21,500 (HK$201,962) for a pair, and given that Slats had already completed the race and with the risk that Covid-19 it might have seen the race cancelled, others suggested they row the Atlantic independently of the organisation. “But a big part for me is the race, the competitiveness, meeting people. I know some people are there just to row the Atlantic and not to set a record, but I like being competitive. It’s a race, a competition and it makes friends for life,” Slats said. The main barrier to another record is the weather. In 2017-18, the conditions were fast. In a week, the solo, pairs, four and women’s record all fell. What do World Cup winner Greenwood and terrifying sea zombies have in common? “The weather and wind were rare that year. You don’t often get weather like that. So, it could be I don’t break my own record and do 35 days or even 40 days if we get headwinds,” Slats said. That would still be exceptionally fast as the pairs world record is 37 days, and 35 days could be quick enough to win the race overall beating even four-person boats. “With two people you can become a lot stronger, but you can become a lot weaker, you can do a lot less and get irritated with each other.” Along with rowing across the Atlantic, Slats has sailed around the world solo. So, having a partner is a new experience. “We did a lot of tests, sort of like a marriage counselling, on how to deal with each other. Out of these tests it became clear I’m a pretty tough guy to deal with. I don’t accept no, and when I set a goal, I will go to the end. That will make it very hard for my partner, but I’ve learned a lot,” Slats said. To help foster teamwork, the pair will make each other’s food while the other rows, so they can finish their shift, immediately eat and then sleep. “The easiest way to make yourself happy is to make someone else happy,” Slats said. “Every day we will have fights, we will be annoyed with each other. But the important thing is we end the day friends.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by MARK SLATS (@markslatsofficial) A likely cause of conflict is Slats’ need for stress. “I like stress, I deal best when there is a lot of stress around me. That’s when I start performing better. It’s really interesting to see these things, and after I did all these tests, you can clearly see why I’m good at this long distance endurance stuff.” Despite his drive and his experience of competing alone, Slats is excited to share his boat, which he built himself. “I like to do big challenges, go deep and to run into myself many times. To have the best days of my life and the worst. But now I want to share it with someone. Then maybe do it with four people and see if I can pass my energy on,” he said. A cold that scares you and terrifying tension in rowing the Arctic “I’ve been doing a lot of talks, and I realised I give a lot of energy to a lot of people and this gives me a good feeling. I’m really looking forward to it.” Between his record and now, Slats completed the Golden Globe, sailing around the world. The race marked the 50-year anniversary of the first solo, non-stop, round the world sail, completed by Sir Robin Knox-Johnson in 1968-69. To commemorate the occasion, sailors were only allowed boats and technology available to Knox-Johnson in the ’60s, barring a couple of modern safety devices. Slats took 216 days. “The Golden Globe was one of the toughest things because of how long it took and how little communication you had,” Slats said. Breathing through the Northwest Passage with Hong Kong’s ‘Iceman’ Slats will draw on an even deeper level of competitiveness he developed during the sail. He felt that the organisers were constantly changing the rules to disadvantage him because the leader was French, and so were they. For example, the leader was in constant contact with shore to get Slats position. When Slats found out, he was incensed and so started getting regular updates as well. “I got so angry about this, I’d rather break the mast or sink the boat, I gave it everything I had to win,” Slats said. He quickly started closing the gap on the leader. Then the rules were changed again and contact with shore was banned. After other changes, Slats considered sailing past France and to the UK in protest, but decided it would just make him look like a bad loser. Ultimately, he finished second. “In the end, I cannot hate the guy. It’s France, they want their sailors to win the race. This is the way it goes. “When you are out there on your own and you know all of France is against you it is tough, but it gave me a real fighting spirit so that is good,” Slats said. With this bank of mental resilience, it is anyone’s guess how fast Slats and Weidmer will cross the Atlantic. “I enjoyed the mental part and the physical part, fighting your own body against the elements. Always thinking you cannot do another shift, then taking a quick break and starting another shift again,” he said. “You are so in tuned with your body. “I’ve never had that at work, you just get overflowed by all the influences, like computers and other people. But suddenly you are out there on your own and it’s just you, your body and the ocean. That’s what I love.”