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The World's Toughest Row
3000 miles, unsupported, across the Altantic
Rowing with a Purpose
Raising funds and awareness
Our Charities

The World's Toughest Row

About the Challenge

  • Route: The World’s Toughest Row is a transatlantic rowing race that takes participants across the Atlantic Ocean, starting from La Gomera in the Canary Islands and finishing in Antigua in the Caribbean. The distance covered is approximately 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers).
  • Solo and Team Entries: The race allows both solo and team entries. Participants can choose to row the entire distance alone or in teams of two, three, or four people. Solo rowers often face additional physical and mental challenges due to the demanding nature of the race.
  • Unsupported: The race is considered one of the toughest because it is entirely unsupported. Participants have to carry all their supplies and equipment on their rowing boats, including food, water, navigation tools, safety equipment, and sleeping quarters. They cannot receive any external assistance during the race.
  • Extreme Conditions: Rowers face a range of extreme conditions during the challenge. They encounter powerful ocean currents, large swells, unpredictable weather patterns, and potential storms. The conditions can vary from calm and sunny to treacherous waves and high winds, making the journey extremely demanding.
  • Mental and Physical Endurance: The race requires immense mental and physical endurance from the participants. They row for several hours each day, often facing sleep deprivation, exhaustion, and muscle fatigue. The mental strength and resilience needed to endure the solitude, isolation, and physical strain make it an exceptional test of human capabilities.
  • Duration: The time taken to complete the race varies depending on the conditions and the rower’s skill and endurance. It typically takes between 30 and 90 days to cross the Atlantic. Participants row around the clock in shifts, with some rowing and others resting, aiming to make progress towards the finish line continuously.
  • Safety Measures: Safety is a crucial aspect of the race. Participants are required to have extensive training and experience in ocean rowing and must carry safety equipment, including life rafts, satellite phones, and emergency beacons. Race organizers also provide safety briefings, support vessels, and regular check-ins to ensure the rowers’ well-being.
 
 

The race pushes participants to their limits and showcases the extraordinary feats humans are capable of achieving through sheer determination and perseverance.

Conquring the Atlantic for a cause

Bush Ways Foundation is passionate about Botswana’s people and wilderness, we continuously strive to ensure our activities have a positive impact and contribute to a sustainable development of our natural wonders.

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Marc Germiquet

Marc Germiquet

Following Peter Van Kets Atlantic races completely captivated me many years ago. It seemed like the pinnacle of adventure sport testing man’s ability to the fullest, on every level. This event has always been in the background of a must do challenge.

During the covid pandemic, my Tourism Business was devastated, the idea of partaking in the World’s Toughest Row, to bring awareness to the effects of what Covid has done to businesses, as well as to try and raise funds for our now hamstrung Foundation (www.bushwaysfoundation.com) was born.

With an entry into the 2024 Atlantic race this dream has now become a reality. Through the foundation we would like to continue the work that we have been doing in rural communities focusing on early childhood learning. These communities live in rural wildlife areas that we visit on our safaris. The main aim of the campaign will be to try and raise enough funds to build a new Pre-primary school.

Coming from a completely land locked country I will be the first person from Botswana attempting to Row across any ocean. This will be by far the biggest physical and mental challenge I have undertaken and it will be a true test of Determination, Strength of Body and Mind. I hope that my participation in many previous adventure events, will in some way help me, as I prepare for the World’s Toughest Row. 

Quinton Rutherford

I am very excited about this challenge since I found out about the event in 2020 haven’t stopped dreaming about crossing the Atlantic, I heard about Marc who I’ve know for many years through our canoeing background was interested in doing the event and just by chance was looking for a partner, so here I am all fired up and ready to take on the challenge of my life.
I come from a background of endurance events. I think it all start with my military training as a South African Navy Diver in 1989 after basic training on the west coast I was sent to Simons Town to do some intense diver training in the middle of a Cape winter after this everything else came relatively easy.
 I discovered that I could run far without too much training so I ran for a charity dressed in a rhino suit, The 2 Oceans marathon in Cape Town, Comrades marathon in Durban up then down the following year without the suit, I did the Argus cycle tour with the suit too. Soon the canoeing and ocean paddling bug bit and I haven’t stopped paddling for over 30yrs. I have completed 25 Duzi canoe marathons, 18 nonstop Duzi canoe marathons these are both ultra events over 120km, 15 fish river canoe marathons, 10 Umkomaas river marathons. On the ocean I have done 9 port Elizabeth to East London races 264km and the list goes on. Last year I did a race across South Africa from Petermaritsburg to Cape in 24 days on a Mountain bike with my wife who got injured after 21 days and had to pullout. The year before I broke the world record for the farthest distance in 24hrs on a 2 man ocean kayak the year before that I broke the Guinness world record in a single kayak for the farthest distance paddled in 24hrs 
I am married with 2 girls and a stepson in Aus.
I do have a day job as an owner of a plumbing business and a BnB, which my wife runs