World’s Toughest Row start postponed; why this is a good thing!

Arrival in La Gomera

It’s December 11, 2025 and I am in La Gomera in the Canary Islands to watch the start of the World’s Toughest Row, an ocean rowing race from here to Antigua.

The start was supposed to be today but such is the justifiable concern of the organisers to run a safe event that they have postponed race day until Sunday or Monday, December 14-15. The weather just south of the Canary Islands is particularly demanding – too much so, in the view of Atlantic Campaigns, who run the World’s Toughest Row.

Currently there is a massive low pressure over the Canary Islands and this means substantial waves of 45 knots and wave heights of around 5.5 metres coming side-on as the fleet heads south from La Gomera. These sorts of conditions are not unknown in the middle of the Atlantic but it is unwise to launch into them if you don’t have to – hence the delay.

Safety First FOR ATLANTIC CAMPAIGNS

Atlantic Campaigns are almost apologetic about the decision to delay but they have no need to. The organising team is a brilliant collection of experts and one thing is for sure: they will not knowingly put competitors at unnecessary risk.

Moreover, the delay is a good thing for some: For me, it means extra days to go and talk to more competitors, especially the crop of solos undertaking this year’s event and it’s given friends and families gathered in La Gomera a little more time with their loved ones before they set off.

So what of this year’s World’s Toughest Row entrants?

I’ve been talking to many of this year’s competitors and all of them have one thing in common: A desire to achieve something remarkable. For all of them, crossing an ocean in a boat offers them a life-enhancing moment. It doesn’t matter their background: all the competitors will remember their weeks rowing the Atlantic until the day they die. Entrants this time include people from more than 20 countries. It is a proper international event, with competitors coming from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the US and of course many countries across Europe.

My perspective as a spectator is that this event gets better every year. It is very slick and very professional. Competitors seem to be better equipped and supplied each year and certainly the boats look very well set for the tough conditions that can be expected during their 3,000 mile (5,000km) crossing of the Atlantic.

Preparing for My Own Campaign

I am resolved to taking part. I have launched my social media channels on Instagram and Facebook and I have begun the job of finding supporters and sponsors to help get me to the start line. In ballpark terms it’s around £130,000/140,000 euros to take part. There are significant benefits to partnering with me as a sponsor – I can incorporate your business goals and marketing efforts into my campaign, the visibility in the world’s leading adventure sports event is incredible with global media coverage assured. And I will work to draw up a plan for promotion and support that meets my sponsors’ needs.

Once I’ve secured sponsorship, I will focus on maximising the return for my sponsors, preparing myself as best I can to be in tip-top condition, and doing my level best to raise funds for DKMS, my charity partner. They administer the global Bone Marrow and Stem Cell register.

My top priority for 2026 is simple: raise the funds I need to reach the start line. Your sponsorship could be the reason I get there.