MacLean Brothers Set World Record on 9,000-Mile Unsupported Row Across the Pacific

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, 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 noted that the crossing had been physically and mentally relentless but asserted, Together we form a pretty good team, and together we've overcome this massive challenge.

High Winds and Distress

The Scottish trio have beaten the previous record of 162 days for the fastest full, unassisted, non-stop Pacific row, originally set by Fyodor Konyukhov in 2014. Their final time was 139 days, five hours and 52 minutes.

The MacLeans conducted much of their training near a croft in Assynt in the north-west Highlands. Their carbon fiber boat was named Rose Emily in memory of their sister who died in 1996. So far, they have raised over £700,000 of a £1 million target for clean water projects in Madagascar.

Despite their preparations, bad weather hampered the final stretch of their journey, with high winds making the crossing increasingly treacherous. Lachlan shared a particularly harrowing incident during a storm in July, where he was thrown overboard. It was pretty scary, I'm not going to lie, he recalled. The brothers faced numerous challenges, including rationing their supplies and navigating around dangerous weather systems.

In finishing their journey, the brothers expressed gratitude for the support they received and reflected on their adventure, highlighting how their bond as brothers was instrumental in overcoming the multitude of hardships they faced.

As they finally returned to solid ground, all three brothers were eager for comfort and good food but admitted they would miss the night skies filled with stars and their encounters with marine life.