GB Row, the worlds toughest rowing challenge kicked off on Sunday 9th June and we’re proud to be an official scientific partner of this incredible 2,000-mile rowing race around the UK coastline for the third year in a row.
GB Row 2024 Update 08/07/24
Coastal Odyssey Update
The Coastal Odyssey team reached Northern Ireland’s coast on July 1st, despite strong north-westerly winds. They passed the Mourne Mountains and County Down coastline, continuing past Strangford Lough and Belfast. With a critical weather window closing, they aimed for Glenarm Bay to shelter from expected 45-knot winds, anchoring for 36 hours.
Last week Friday, as winds eased, they resumed their journey northward, passing Cushendun and setting course for Rathlin Island. They navigated the North Channel into the Sound of Jura, between the Mull of Kintyre Peninsula and Islay Island. With improved weather, they enjoyed calmer waters and beautiful scenery in the Western Isles but faced challenges in the Strait of Corryvreckan. They anchored at Insh Island on Saturday to wait for a tide change and navigated through the Firth of Lorn into the Sound of Mull, passing Tobermory and the Passage of Tiree before entering the Sound of Sleat and are currently continuing their course around Scotland.
Sea Change Update
Team Sea Change needed a 36-hour weather window to cross the Bristol Channel but was stuck in Padstow for 14 days due to north-westerly winds. With a potential window on Sunday, they moved to Port Quin but were hit by a squall with 67 mph winds, causing damage and forcing them to withdraw from the GB Row Challenge.
Their race was dedicated to raising awareness for ocean conservation, a cause they are very much still committed to and actively pursuing despite withdrawing. The team collected valuable data along the east and south coast, which will be analyzed by the University of Portsmouth and will build on two years of existing data.
GB Row Challenge founder William de Laszlo expressed sadness over their withdrawal but emphasized the priority of their safety and praised their efforts in collecting vital oceanic data.
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Row row row your boat
Crowds gathered to cheer two teams of rowers as they set off from Tower Bridge, London, on an unassisted, non-stop race around the UK. They face unpredictable weather, strong tides, and challenging conditions while navigating some of the most stunning and difficult coastal waters.
The boats are fully equipped to collect crucial ocean data on temperature, microplastics, biodiversity and noise pollution as they make their way around the UK.
Rowing with a purpose
To accurately record underwater noises, we integrated a highly sensitive GTI hydrophone onto the rudder of each boat which connects to a Porpoise OB1 mounted inside the boat. Working in unison, this technology will collect valuable acoustic data to help us understand marine species’ distribution and behaviour along the UK coastline. We also equipped the boats with temperature sensors that will record widely available truth set data which is otherwise not captured, allowing us to visualise temperature trends and the effect of the climate on our coastal waters year on year.
Once completed, researchers from the University of Portsmouth will use the data collected to generate a comprehensive report on the state of our coastal waters to push the needle further in marine research and conservation efforts.
Stay tuned for updates on the discoveries made possible by these incredible rowers. To read the latest GB Row report and unpack the data from last year’s challenge, click here