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Emily Kohl and Sarah Kessans grew up in two landlocked Midwestern towns
hundreds of miles from the Atlantic Ocean.
But come November, they will launch a rowboat from the Canary Islands
off the north coast of Africa and attempt an ocean-crossing voyage as
competitors in the Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race.
Kessans, 21, from Salem, Ind., is one of the leading rowers on Purdue's
crew team. Kohl, from Plainfield, Ill., rowed four years at Purdue and
now coaches rowers at Michigan State.
The two rowers are not intent on simply finishing the race, which spans
2,900 nautical miles (and sounds less formidable than the total in land
miles: 3,335).
"We're looking to break the women's record of 50 days, so that would
average 60 (nautical) miles per day," said Kohl, 22, a former Purdue
rowing team member.
The race will conclude on the island of Antigua in the eastern
Caribbean. The journey has taken previous competitors as long as 111
days to complete.
Only 141 people have finished the previous races (three have been held
since 1997).
All competitors use a similar watercraft, which was designed as a
seaworthy rowboat. It has a small cabin, and the deck is lined with
watertight compartments for storing hundreds of pounds of gear and
freeze-dried food |
