Home | Ocean5

Ocean 5
Pacific Row 2025

5 men

Atlantic and GB row veterans

One boat

Lady Jane II, a brand new Rannoch RX45

One ocean

2,800 miles across the Pacific Ocean

One goal

To become world record holders for the fastest 5-man crossing from mainland USA to Hawaii

The Challenge

Map of the race route from Monterey Bay to Hawaii

Race Details

Our Pacific Challenge begins June 2024. Teams from all over the world will embark on a 4,444km (2,800 mile) journey from Monterey, California to Kauai, Hawaii in ocean rowing boats. An extreme series of endurance races where individuals from across the globe gather annually to test themselves against Mother Nature and compete to row thousands of kilometers across the Pacific Ocean. This offers a unique atmosphere to gather together and absorb what will be a once in a lifetime adventure and experience.

Sleep deprivation, hallucinations, hunger - the ultimate test of body and mind will be balanced with a profound connection to nature; sights of marine life, adapting to the ever changing weather, energizing sun rises into glorious sunsets into mesmerizing night sky's. The team will experience deep camaraderie, achievement, self-discovery and pride among the many experiences delivered by rowing across an ocean.

The Crossing in Numbers

4444

Kilometers rowed

Days targeted rowing

6000

KCAL burned per rower per day

1.5

million oar strokes

30+

Foot waves

Litres of water consumed per rower per day

Kilograms of average weight loss per person

2-2

2 hour rowing - 2 hours resting, around the clock

Meet the Team

2019 Atlantic World Record Holder

Kevin Gaskell

A world-renowned business leader and inspirational speaker Kevin was previously MD of Porsche, BMW and Fairline Boats. He brings a (very!) mature aspect to the team and is vastly experienced at leading complex projects and demanding expeditions. Kevin has walked to the North Pole (twice) and the South Pole as well as climbing some of the world’s highest mountains to raise funds for medical research. Since being part of the world record setting Ocean5 Atlantic crew, Kevin has been determined to repeat the experience, with the goal of setting a new world record for the row across the Pacific. His friendship with Lewis Moody and respect for his Foundation’s fight against brain tumours in young people encouraged Kevin to get on and make the row happen.

2019 Atlantic World Record Holder

Matt Gaskell

With qualifications in conservation biology and medicine, Matt’s experience as a member of the world record setting Ocean5 Atlantic crew means that he knows more about treating a poisonous jellyfish sting than treating asthma. His bedside manner of "umm, you’ll live … probably" is ideally suited to a couple of months rowing the Pacific, where his expedition medical skills will be a key addition to the team. Matt is an Olympic torch bearer who has walked to both the North and South Poles and currently competes in Ironman and Ultra-marathon competitions. His ocean rowing experience and his appetite for endurance sports and multi-day events means he understands just how difficult this undertaking will be.

eb1ccecf-f910-4438-a819-bc2c8d938e8e_edi

2021 Atlantic Veteran

Adam Ravenscroft

Adam is a keen adventurer and sports enthusiast, having notably rowed the Atlantic, ran the Marathon des Sables and climbed Stoke Kangri in the Indian Himalayas. He enjoys cross country skiing in the winter, surfing in the summer and watching rugby all year around.

2021 Atlantic Veteran

Tom Higham

Tom has previous rowing experience, having crossed the Atlantic with Adam in 2021. He enjoys endurance adventures of multiple disciplines having placed in the top 100 in the Marathon Des Sables and swam from Europe to Asia across the Hellespont.

GB Row 2024 World Record Holder

Patrick Deacon

I’ve always enjoyed sport, but found my true passion in martial arts, becoming National Champion at 16 and representing England Internationally all over the World in my early 20’s. Despite my proximity to the sea, it’s always Intrigued me. I crave adventure, having spent a year living in the remote Amazon jungle, something that’s not for the faint hearted! Driven a 35yr old three wheeled Reliant Robin from the UK to Mongolia, another questionable decision! Cycled across Europe, put up several first ascent rock climbing routes in Greenland and traversed the deserts of Oman.

The Charity

The Lewis Moody Foundation

The Lewis Moody Foundation is dedicated to changing the story around brain tumours.

They inspire individuals and companies to take on the challenge of their lifetimes – raising the vital funds needed to support people affected by brain tumours (as well as their families).

About The Charity

The Boat

Lady Jayne II

Specifications

No. of rowing positions 3

No. of berths 4

Hull length. 9.60m

Waterline length 8.84m

Beam 1.75m

Beam at waterline 1.40m

Draught 0.30m

Height 1.78m

Construction Carbon fibre

Our Sponsors

We are actively looking for sponsorship, please get in touch if you are interested. Download our Sponsor Pack using the PDF link below.

ocean5row@gmail.com

Download Sponsorship Pack

Blog

Sunday training row in some very calm November conditions. Bonus points for anyone who can recognise the landmark in the background?

We’re excited to announce that our chosen charity for the 2025 Worlds Toughest Row - Pacific is @lewismoodyfdn!

Visit www.theocean5.com to find out more 💪🚣‍♀️

Ocean5 will be rowing again in the summer of 2025. The arena this time around…the Pacific Ocean.

More information on the boat, the team, the training, the charity, all to follow in due course.

We’re so back 😎

Hello everybody!! We hope you are all keeping well! ‼️ Quick announcement ‼️ BBC Gloucestershire radio will air their documentary on the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge tomorrow at 13:00 BST!! Make sure you check it out☺️ #talisker #atlanticchallenge #rowing #atlanticocean #bbcgloustershire

On behalf of the Ocean5 team, we would like to say a massive THANK YOU to @acme_whistles for our amazing gifts which we are going to cherish! Acme whistles joined our 250 club back in October before our Atlantic row and have been a great sponsor! They have also been manufacturing whistles for over 150 years! 👏🏻

We saw a lot of sea turtles on our Atlantic crossing! They are so inquisitive and nosy! We would like to encourage you to consider your use of plastic and try to make a conscious effort to reduce it to help save these amazing creatures🙏🏻 Unfortunately we couldn’t get any proper pictures of turtles🐢 #doyourbit #environment #wildlife #plasticpollution #turtles #plasticsoupfoundation

Here we are enjoying the warm Atlantic Ocean 2 days before we set off on a 35 day rollercoaster! We applied the motto ‘Dare to Dream’ throughout the row and never lost sight of our main dream (to set a new world record). The crew are back at home settling into their jobs or even starting new ventures. One of the great things about The Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge is that it gives you the space and time to think about your life goals and plan things out in your head! The world is our oyster so we encourage everyone to get out there and Dare to Dream 😆💪🏽🔥 #daretodream #guysagainstplastic #taliskerwhiskeyatlanticchallenge #atlanticrow #actionshot

😮‘The Toughest row on earth’ 😮This is what you look like after rowing for 35 days at sea, on the oars for 2 hours on 2 hours off! 🛶The body and mind can achieve great things when focused on the task at hand but this row really does take its toll on your body! 📸cred to @benduffyphoto and @atlanticcampaigns

Life on the big blue ocean!..🌊 Our days were fairly simple. Row, eat, make water, clean and sleep. Once into the swing of things Lady Jayne was flying and we were working well as a team! To keep our average speed up we would regularly go for 15,20 or even 30 hard strokes seeing how fast we could get the boat speed up to! We broke up our 2 hour shifts by taking a 30 second water break every 20 minutes! This made the 2 hours fly! The crew were using up to 30 litres of water per day which needed topping up every morning. We also were going through 5 thermos flasks of hot water for our freeze dried meals! If we got 90 minutes of sleep during our break we would be very lucky 🤦‍♂️🙇🏼‍♂️🤙🏼

Team member @samcoxontri enjoying some beach time wearing his @gympro_apparel active wear! These guys have supported us with gym/ workout gear right from day 1! We are truly grateful for your help and support with such a practical and comfy product! 🙏🏻 Go check out their page and website 👌🏻

The World Record Holders and their families enjoying some chill out/ mingling time before its time to head back to the UK! The whole experience has been amazing and a all round great experience 👌🏻 #twac2019

Lady Jayne scrubs up pretty after spending 35 days at sea! Especially with 3 super yacht crew taking charge 🤓👀 We would like to take this opportunity to thank a last minute sponsor of ours @roccabella_yachts for their generous donation as well as @motoryachtcloudbreak. Without you guys, our dream couldn’t have become reality! 🙏🏻 #twac2019 #atlanticrow #taliskerwhiskey #worldrecord #plasticsoupfoundation #guysagainstplastic

⏰ 5 man World Record Holders⏰ 35 days, 19 hours, 50 minutes! The feeling of crossing that finish line was incredible and then we could all relax! The hard work was done! We would like to say a massive Thankyou to all of our sponsors and donations. We feel so grateful for all of our followers and supporters! We are still raising money for the @plasticsoupfoundation if you wish to donate via our website 🙏🏻. Photo credit- @benduffyphoto

We have rowed across the Atlantic Ocean!!!!!! Breaking the 5 man world record and a proposal on the key side to top it off❤️💍 What a journey, what a adventure and memories to last a lifetime! None of this would be possible without our fantastic sponsors and donations so we would like to say a HUGE Thankyou to you guys for your support and belief in us! We worked our socks off out there and pulled it out the bag! 🙏🏻🛶💪🏽☺️. #worldrecord #twac2019 #atlanticchallenge #plasticsoupfoundation #atlanticrow #3000miles #recordtime #daretodream

As the Ocean5 supporters prepare to travel to the finish line in Antigua, we're keeping everything crossed for the #GuysAgainstPlastic achieving their goal of a new World Record!
Congratulations again to the winners for 2019 Fortitude IV and those due in imminently!

If you'd like to give the rowers a boost, please consider sponsoring them through our website or our GoFundMe page.

We'd like to thank all our sponsors - we couldn't do it without you! This week, particular thanks to Southampton Freight Services Ltd, who sponsored our oars. Thanks also to Henwood Court Financial Planning Ltd and race day sponsor Marsh Fuels. Marsh Fuels kindly donated their call to St Gabriel's School so that the children could benefit. All our sponsors are helping us to reach our aim of battling ocean plastics and have a strong belief of the importance of this work. -- The Ocean5 are rowing 3000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge to help combat plastics in the oceans by raising money for the Plastic Soup Foundation International

#TWAC2019 #OceanRowing #OceanPlastics

Less than 100NM to go and The Ocean5 are on track to setting a new record for a 5 man crossing.
Huge congratulations to @fortitudefour for completing the row in an incredible time. You must be so proud and happy to be on dry land!! Won't be long until we are welcoming the crew into Antigua 😃🌊

The boys have rowed 105NM in the last 24 hours!!! 💥💥💥 They are flying and the finish is fast approaching with the ETA being Thursday evening/Friday morning! Incredible! The support crew have flights booked and suitcases pack and ready to fly out to the finish ☺️ There's a picture here of the hand grips the guys had specially moulded to their hand and grip to help protect from blisters and sores. I think they will be ready for a rest when they get in 😅😴💪 Keep going The Ocean5 we are all behind you !
Thanks again to all our sponsors and please get in touch if you wish to donate. The team are raising money for the @plasticsoupfoundation rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean 🌊

Ocean 5 update from Kevin .... We're well into the 3rd phase of the race now. There are around 450 miles left to run so we're focused on achieving or beating the current 5-man crossing time World Record.
Until now, we hadn't paid attention to the record - we've focused on tactics for the race and learning to deal with the weather and the boat. We think we've understood both those issues now. We've pushed the boat hard and she's been fantastic.
On Wednesday we had a shock because we turned the boat over. We were fighting some big seas and going very quickly, were hit on the side by a big wave and all of a sudden we capsized.
Some rowers went into the sea and 2 were in the cabins. Because we follow the rules, we were all tethered and the cabin doors were locked shut.

We recovered very quickly and the boat was upright within a minute. We lost some kit - a couple of drinking bottles and a seat sponge. Other than that, no problems and we were moving again within 5 minutes. We didn't want to cause worry at the time but are letting you know now we've assessed the situation! It allowed us to understand just how far we can push the boat but also to have confidence that if it happens again, we can recover.
We're now focused on moving absolutely as quickly as we can. We've had to make some sacrifices to achieve this including changing shift patterns so we're rowing for longer. We're also improving the way we hand over between shifts.
Everyone is focused on the World Record. We know the precise time we need to arrive in English Harbour and that is our new challenge we're aiming for.

Thank you to all our supporters and sponsors, especially those who provided excellent equipment as that has allowed us to focus on the job. This week, we'd particularly like to thank BWA Yachting for their support in reducing ocean plastics. We'd also like to thank Race Day Sponsor Rowan Group, who Kevin was pleased to speak to yesterday.

The Ocean5 are rowing 3000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge to help combat plastics in the oceans by raising money for the Plastic Soup Foundation

Big thank you to our Race Day Sponsor Rowan who have been on the Ocean 5's side since the start 😃👌🌊 "Since the start of December 2019, we have been sponsoring the Ocean5 rowing team as they embark on the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge - a gruelling 3,000km row from La Gomera in the Canaries to Antingua, in order to raise funds for the Plastic Soup Foundation.

More people have been into space than rowed the Atlantic - so it's no easy feat!

The team are now less than 800 miles from their destination, and are on track to break the world record for a team of 5 rowing the Atlantic.

This morning we had the privilege to speak to ITS chairman Kevin Gaskell live from their epic challenge, to see how they have been progressing.

Now close to a month into the challenge, Kevin said that for him - the two biggest challenges have been the physical exhaustion and lack of sleep. He described the row as "Relentless". The team each take 2 hours to row in teams of 2, followed by 2 hours to rest - although this is easier said than done, as the team were thrown into the sea during a storm just yesterday!" The team are passionate about raising money for the @plasticsoupfoundation "We’re really keen to raise awareness of such a global issue that impacts all of us. Kevin and the team are doing a stellar job so far and we wish them the best of luck as their journey continues!” Please get in touch to sponsor and get involved or visit the Ocean 5 website and follow the "Join our journey" link 😃 https://theocean5.com/sponsor-the-ocean5/

It's been a long time since the boys left Tenerife but they are heading into their last week of the 3,000 mile crossing.
It's been hunrgy work and we know ocean rower Sam is craving some fresh fruit, whilst our captain Chris wishes he'd pack some more sweet stuff to keep up his spirit's!! The team are thankful to RX bar who have sponsored the teams row. Fuelling the team with the best ingredients to make up part of their snacks and daily calories.. and trust us they are burning a lot !! Here's what the company have to say about their bars "One look at our wrapper, and you can see what we're all about.
High protein, clean label ingredients. Paleo and Whole30 Compliant.
No gluten, soy or dairy. No B.S"

Today is our skipper Chris's birthday! Happy birthday Chris! We hope the rest of the Ocean5 rowers share their best snacks with you today!
Chris said the thing he would miss most is a proper shower. We hope to see them soon in Antigua where they can all have a nice hot shower! -- The Ocean5 are rowing 3000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge to help combat plastics in the oceans by raising money for the @plasticsoupfoundation

The Ocean 5 are proud to have sponsorship and support from BWA Yachting. The team are rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean to raise money for the @plasticsoupfoundation. All the hard work and fundraising is in aid of protecting our oceans and the wildlife within it. There's lots of reasons why people have sponsored their journey but here's why BWA Yachting got involved 👍😃👌 “We decided to sponsor the OCEAN5 team because we support the good causes, and this is definitely one! It is high time we must realize the harmful effects of plastic pollution in the environment and in the oceans (the environment we operate in) and contribute our bit towards bringing it down.”, Francesca Fenucci, head of Marketing and Communications at BWA Yachting.

The Ocean 5 are making massive progress with some kind winds behind them they continue to push forward and currently are rowing at 3.1 knots.

Although after all this time at sea and away from home comforts and loved ones I am sure the boys are excited to see Antigua!
Here's what ocean rower Sam said before he set off when he was asked about the enormity of the challenge. "I've always loved pushing myself and have competed at a high level in triathlon the past 3 years. The endurance I have built up during my ironman training and races will definitely help me both physically and mentally during the row. However, until recently I have never rowed! So this is certainly going to be a change"

Little does Sam know but his girlfriend excitingly waiting back home has already signed them both up for a trail marathon in Devon and 2 cycling events both over 120 miles... So we hope Sam's got some energy left 😂😅🤞

@rawsportofficial the boys are enjoying their mass gainer shake to help to keep the calories high whilst rowing. Spirits are high and the end is in sight :)

With over 2 3rds of the row complete this shot taken before the start must feel like a long time ago for the team.
Today we would like to thank our race day sponsor Smurfitkappa for all their support and for tracking the boys on route. Here's some words of encouragement from the company ... "Keep going guys – number 1 in the five man crews, the end is in sight – Best of luck from all at SmurfitKappa." Smurfitkappa work to make packaging more sustainable for the future.

Day 22 Update from O5 (late yesterday)

We always had a plan for the race which broke the race into thirds. The first third was for getting used to the boat and being at sea. Unfortunately, we ran into a bad storm which somewhat disrupted our plan. The plan for the second third was to be steady and intelligent, making good progress. In the final third, we plan to use the wind and waves to our best advantage to attack aggressively and get to the front of the field.
This is currently working well and we're very pleased to be in 4th place, higher than expected and ahead of very strong team.

It has been a bit of a trial - we're now at 22 days without being able to stand up, shower, use a bathroom or have a bed. We're doing nothing but row for 2 hours, eat, sleep for an hour and repeating that 24/7.

Today we got news that we are the fastest moving boat in the fleet at the moment. We're excited that Atlantic Campaigns think its possible we could beat the record for a 5 man crossing, meaning arriving in Antigua on 18th Jan at about 11:00 local time.
Reality is a bit more disappointing. At the time of being the fastest moving boat, Kev and Will were rowing their heart out to keep the boat steady and moving forwards at 1 knot due to side wind and heavy rain. The ocean has its own mind, it changes by the minute, hour and day. We can move from flat calm to 25 knot storm in just 6 hours.
As we were fighting to make progress through the wind, Sam and Will used the rain to try to have a wash. Even through the conditions are incredibly difficult, sometimes you can use the bad weather to your advantage to have a wash!

So it's almost time for the @the_ocean_5 support crew to start booking flights to Antigua to wave the boys into the finish. Super exciting!! The boys are in high spirits and their latest update was that Chris, Sam and Matt had taken a dip into the ocean to clean the boat. "The sea is so warm and clear" ocean rower Sam said.
Featured on this photo is Chris looking smiley and tanned. Chris was most excited for the sunsets and sunrises which he has described as incredible!! Before leaving he told us that when he finishes he is most looking forward to seeing his girlfriend Nina in Antigua 😃

Keep following the boys and tracking their progress!

Team photos sent straight from the Atlantic Ocean. The @the_ocean_5 would like to thanks BWA Yachting for their sponsorship and support. - “We decided to sponsor the OCEAN5 team because we support the good causes, and this is definitely one! It is high time we must realize the harmful effects of plastic pollution in the environment and in the oceans (the environment we operate in) and contribute our bit towards bringing it down.”, Francesca Fenucci, head of Marketing and Communications at BWA Yachting.

Happy New Year from the GuysAgainstPlastic! What a start to 2020, competing in TWAC2019 and passing the half way point! -- The Ocean5 are rowing 3000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge to help combat plastics in the oceans by raising money for the Plastic Soup Foundation

@taliskerchallenge

.pro-gallery-wix-wrapper {display: block !important;} .pro-gallery-wix-wrapper .gallery-item-container {opacity: 1 !important; display: block !important;}

@the_ocean_5

Ocean 5 Pacific Row 2025