Rowers set Pacific world record, from San Francisco to Hawaii in 30 days
- Four men smash record for rowing across the Pacific during the Great Pacific Race
- The team, called Latitude 35, blitz the old mark by nine days
A team of rowers have set the world record for crossing the Pacific, from San Francisco to Hawaii. The four men won the Great Pacific Race and claimed the record simultaneously, taking nine days off the existing record.
Duncan Roy, Angus Collins, Jordan Shuttleworth and Jason Caldwell, of team Latitude 35, set off from San Francisco on May 31 and arrived in Hawaii on June 30 – a total of 30 days, five hours and 37 minutes.
The team quickly drew into the lead. Tough onshore winds hampered all teams, but Latitude 35 used their vast experience to get past the weather and into the trade winds driving them towards Hawaii.
Caldwell, who captained Latitude 35, has rowed the Atlantic twice, setting the record with Collins on his second crossing. Shuttleworth was a late edition to the team, replacing experienced ocean rower Gus Barton when the row was delayed from 2020 because of Covid-19.
The previous record was 39 days, nine hours, and 56 minutes, set in 2016. Latitude 35 were explicit in their aim to break the record before setting out.