BLUE RIBAND TROPHY OF OCEAN ROWING

Produced by the ORSI in consultation with the AOR

Photo by Olga Rezvaya

Due to New World Record , set by team Sara G on February 8th 2011, the record time for crossing from different start points has to be recalculated.
The Record time below has been calculated based on the time of previous record row of La Mondiale.
Meanwhile please consider the guidance below as a basic concept  to understand the way  speed record time is being dealt with.

This season the North Atlantic classic ‘Trade Winds’ route will be a busy one - with several ocean rowing boats competing for the Blue Riband Trophy of Ocean Rowing. The existing holder of this speed record is Team La Mondiale in 2007-2008. The record stands at 33 days, 7 hours and 30 minutes.

Boat type for these new record attempts will vary in style, number of crew, gender, nationality, age and start date, as well as the ports they plan to leave from and arrive at. ORSI understands that the last point can put the competing boats in unequal position, because the distance ‘from-to’ may differ from that of La Mondiale 2007/08 and as long as this is the current record, we have to take their distance as a basis for measurement of success.

In any speed record attempt, even across an ocean, 10 extra miles can matter. As official adjudicators of Guinness World Records, ORSI proposes the following formula to avoid any proximity in recognizing the record and potential arguments, bitterness and speculations. It is recognised that this is not an exact science, however the judgement of ORSI in conjunction with Guinness will be final.  

The formula is based on the average speed of La Mondiale throughout her crossing. For longer and shorter routes, the formula will create a comparable crossing time for the challenger to beat, by calculating the time it would have taken La Mondiale to complete the same route.

Blue Riband Trophy

In order to claim a speed record the row must be from land to land and an uninterrupted tracking must be available for the whole duration of the row. Any failure in tracking, for whatever reasons, will exclude the team from claiming any speed records.

The current record is held by La Mondiale in a time of 33 days, 7 hours and 30 minutes.
Start: 15 December 2007, in Puerto Mogan, Gran Canaria
Finish: 17 January 2008 in Port St Charles, Barbados

Distance as the crow flies to Barbados from Puerto Mogan, Gran Canaria:

 Time: 33 days 7 hours 30 min   (799.5 hours)
Overall average speed: 3.255 knots = 3.75 miles (6.03 km) (3.255 nm) per hour.

Distance to Barbados from La Gomera:                            

This route is 73 miles (118 km) (63 nm) shorter*

Based on her average record speed, it would take La Mondiale 19 hours and 28 minutes to cover this distance.

It means that if La Mondiale started from San Sebastian, La Gomera and finished in Port St Charles, Barbados - her crossing time would be 19 hours and 28 minutes less. I.e. it would be 32 days, 12 hours and 02 minutes.

Distance to Barbados from La Gomera: 

This route is 61 miles (99 km) (53 nm) shorter *

It would take La Mondiale 16 hours 18 minutes to cover this distance.

Therefore if La Mondiale started from San Sebastian, La Gomera and finished in Bridgetown Marina, Barbados - her crossing time would be 16 hours 18 minutes less. I.e. 32 days, 15 hours and  12 minutes.

Distance to Barbados from Tenerife:

 This route is 44 miles (72 km) (38 nm) shorter*

It would take La Mondiale 11 hours and 42 minutes to cover this distance.

It means that if La Mondiale started from San Miguel Marina,  Tenerife and finished in Port St Charles, Barbados - her crossing time would be 11 hours and 42 minutes less. I.e. 32 days, 19 hours and 48 minutes.

Distance to Barbados from Tenerife:

This route is 32 miles (53 km) (28 nm) shorter*

It would take La Mondiale 8 hours and 32 minutes to cover this distance.

It means that if La Mondiale started from San Miguel Marina, Tenerife and finished in Bridgetown Marina, Barbados  - her crossing time would be 8 hours 32 minutes less. I.e. 32 days, 22 hours and 58 minutes.

Distance to Antigua from La Gomera:

 This route is 60 miles (97 km) (52 nm) shorter*

It would take La Mondiale 16 hours to cover this distance.

It means that if La Mondiale started from San Sebastian, La Gomera and finished in Antigua, her crossing time would be 16 hours less. I.e. 32 days, 15 hours and 30 minutes.

Morocco

Any row from Morocco involves longer distance but this is the right of teams to choose this route and the record-breaking time of such rows should be calculated similar way. This assumption is based on passing by Gran Canaria and to the North of Barbados.

Distance to Barbados from Morocco:

 This route is 415 miles (666 km) (360 nm) longer*

It would take La Mondiale 110 hours, 40 minutes (4 days, 14 hours and 40 minutes)  to cover this distance.

It means that if La Mondiale started from Agadir, Morocco and finished in PSC, Barbados,  her crossing time would be 4 days 14 hours 40 min more. I.e. 37 days, 22 hours and 10 minutes.

Distance to Barbados from Agadir, Morocco:

 This route is 427 miles (685 km) (370 nm) longer*

It would take La Mondiale 113 hours, 52 minutes (4 days, 17 hours and 52 minutes) to cover this distance.

It means that if La Mondiale started from Agadir, Morocco and finished in Bridgetown, Barbados, her crossing time would be 4 days, 17 hours and 52 minutes more. I.e. 38 days, 1 hour and 22 minutes.

Distance to Antigua from Agadir, Morocco:

 This route is 401 miles (646 km) (348 nm) longer*

It would take La Mondiale 107 hours (4 days, 11 hours) to cover this distance.

It means that if La Mondiale started from Agadir, Morocco and finished in English Harbour, Antigua, her crossing time would be 4 days 11 hours more. I.e. 37 days, 18 hours and 30 minutes.

This route is 176 miles (281 km) (150 nm) longer*

It would take La Mondiale 46.5 hours  (1 day 22 hours 30 min)  to cover this distance.

It means that if La Mondiale started from Tarfaya, Morocco and finished in PSC, Barbados  her crossing time would be 1 day 22 hours 30 min more , i.e. 35 days 6h

This formula is designed to help compare and recognize speed records of those who’ve chosen
to row the Atlantic along the Classic "Trade Winds Route I" ** - no matter where they choose to depart from and row to.

**not applicable for shortened route “Trade Winds II” - from Cape Verde and Senegal areas]