Three brothers from Edinburgh have claimed a new record for rowing non-stop and unsupported across the Pacific Ocean after almost 140 days at sea. Jamie, Ewan, and Lachlan MacLean endured violent tropical storms, which forced them into making lengthy detours on their 9,000-mile (14,484km) journey from Peru to Australia.
During one storm, Lachlan was swept overboard by a large wave before being pulled back into the boat. The brothers, who have been reunited with their family and friends in Cairns, in eastern Australia, said they were looking forward to pizza - and a decent night's sleep.
Ewan told BBC Breakfast: It's still slightly surreal - it's going to take a wee while for our feet to touch the ground, but what an amazing reception we've had in Cairns. Jamie stated the crossing had been physically and mentally relentless, but added: Together we form a pretty good team, and together we've overcome this massive challenge.
The trio has beaten the previous record of 162 days for the fastest full, unassisted, non-stop Pacific row, set by Russian solo rower Fyodor Konyukhov in 2014. Their final time was 139 days, five hours, and 52 minutes.
Training mainly took place at sea near a croft in Assynt, North West Highlands. Their carbon fiber boat, named Rose Emily, honors their sister who passed away in 1996. The brothers have raised over £700,000 for clean water projects in Madagascar.
Despite planning for a quicker journey, bad weather hampered their final stretch, including high winds that caused significant delays. For the unsupported row, the MacLeans brought all their food, requiring strict rationing as the journey progressed.
While they looked forward to fresh food and a good sleep, Lachlan mentioned he would miss the nights under star-filled skies and close encounters with sea life. Jamie described the experience as incredible, relentless, and often surreal, expressing gratitude for the support from their community.
During one storm, Lachlan was swept overboard by a large wave before being pulled back into the boat. The brothers, who have been reunited with their family and friends in Cairns, in eastern Australia, said they were looking forward to pizza - and a decent night's sleep.
Ewan told BBC Breakfast: It's still slightly surreal - it's going to take a wee while for our feet to touch the ground, but what an amazing reception we've had in Cairns. Jamie stated the crossing had been physically and mentally relentless, but added: Together we form a pretty good team, and together we've overcome this massive challenge.
The trio has beaten the previous record of 162 days for the fastest full, unassisted, non-stop Pacific row, set by Russian solo rower Fyodor Konyukhov in 2014. Their final time was 139 days, five hours, and 52 minutes.
Training mainly took place at sea near a croft in Assynt, North West Highlands. Their carbon fiber boat, named Rose Emily, honors their sister who passed away in 1996. The brothers have raised over £700,000 for clean water projects in Madagascar.
Despite planning for a quicker journey, bad weather hampered their final stretch, including high winds that caused significant delays. For the unsupported row, the MacLeans brought all their food, requiring strict rationing as the journey progressed.
While they looked forward to fresh food and a good sleep, Lachlan mentioned he would miss the nights under star-filled skies and close encounters with sea life. Jamie described the experience as incredible, relentless, and often surreal, expressing gratitude for the support from their community.
