Elsa Hammond departed on 09 June from Monterey Bay, California to row 2,400 miles solo and unsupported across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii, competing in the Great Pacific Race 2014.
She attempted to break the world record to become the fastest solo woman to row this ocean, and faced 40 foot waves, hurricane force winds and 16 hours of rowing a day, totally unsupported!
Due to continuous adverse weather conditions, including predictions her planned route would pass directly through hurricane conditions, Elsa was forced to abandon her target of Hawaii and set a new course to Mexico and is now making her way back to the UK having landed safely.
Elsa achieved 1000nm under her own power and was the last remaining solo rower in the race by over 1 month, rowing the furthest "miles per rower" of any of the classic boats, including the 4-man vessel!
2,400 Miles - Across The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Elsa's Campaign against #PlasticPoison
The race took Elsa just south of the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’, the most notorious example of plastic pollution in our oceans. This area of concentrated pollution consists of macro and micro plastic particles and is estimated to be twice the size the state of Texas, USA.
Formed by converging currents, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch poses high risks to marine life, ocean habitats and ultimately us when the toxins leached from degrading plastic enter the human food chain. Plastic pollution is an enormous problem through its detriment to the environment, world economy, and human health, and Elsa is keen to raise awareness of this issue through her blog and updates during and after the row, as well as through a joint schools programme with Global Ocean on her return. Elsa took water samples from the garbage patch to enable research into climatology and oceanography by scientific institutes.
Elsa is committed to promoting environmental initiaves to ensure better care of our planet and is supporting Global Ocean in our mission to spread the word on plastic pollution.
