Taryn Smith arrives in Antigua after rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean competing in the World's Toughest Row as a solo Athlete.

Learning to be comfortable in an uncomfortable situation.

Taryn’s Atlantic Row was an exploration in finding joy amidst the harshest conditions.

Learn more about the Atlantic Row.

Route

3,000 miles from The Canary Islands to Antigua. Taryn faced 30 foot waves, sleep deprivation, & social isolation. While the environment was extreme, she also got to experience the dramatic beauty of life at sea.

Boat

A white racing hovercraft with a blue front panel, labelled 'World's Toughest' and 'ROW', designed for extreme conditions.

R25 by Rannoch. Designed to be safe and speedy, this self-righting boat carried Taryn 3,000 miles across the Atlantic. R25s are constructed out of fibre glass and come complete with a Garmin Chart plotter to help her navigate, VHF radio to communicate with other vessels, and safety equipment.

FAQ

Departing from La Gomera, Spain on December 14, 2025 and arriving in English Harbor, Antigua on January 29, 2026, it took Taryn 46 days, 3 hours and 37 minutes to row across the Atlantic Ocean.
Ocean rowers burn 4,000+ calories a day. Taryn ate backpacking meals, snacks (like protein bars, candy, crackers, and dried fruit), and copious amounts of Nutella and peanut butter to fuel her crossing.
Taryn raced in an R25, a special ocean rowing boat designed Rannoch. The boat is 24 feet long & 5 feet wide with a fiberglass hull. Rannochs are self-righting in case of a capsize and have a bow and stern cabin to sleep in.
Very glamorous. A bucket.
Redundancy is the name of the game in comms at sea. Taryn had 3 satellite phones, a Starlink, and a BGAN (broadband global area network) which provides internet access. She sent pictures and videos of the crossing to her mom who posted on Instagram on her behalf.
Shelly and Burke Smith were not surprised when Taryn said she wanted to row across the Atlantic Ocean. Their support throughout the row is far more inspirational than anything Taryn accomplished at sea.
Taryn spent three years preparing for her crossing. She trained in the gym with Gus Barton, learned sea survival and navigation from Seasports Southwest, learned to row with the Ocean Rowing Centre, and spent seven weeks living on her boat in England, learning from Lizzie Brown at Rannoch.