Three brothers from Edinburgh have set a new world record after completing a 9,000-mile row across the Pacific Ocean, enduring violent storms, food rationing, and near-disaster along the way.
Jamie, Ewan, and Lachlan MacLean arrived in Cairns, Australia, on Friday, after rowing unsupported and non-stop for 139 days, five hours, and 52 minutes. Their achievement breaks the previous record of 162 days, set in 2014 by Russian adventurer Fyodor Konyukhov.
The trio set off from Peru nearly five months ago in their boat, Rose Emily—named in memory of their unborn sister—determined to cross the ocean while raising money for clean water projects in Madagascar. To date, they have secured more than £700,000 of their £1 million fundraising goal.
The voyage was not without danger. In July, 27-year-old Lachlan was swept overboard during a 36-hour storm with 40mph winds and 20ft waves. He survived thanks to a safety harness that kept him tethered to the boat, before his brother Ewan hauled him back to safety. Later, a cyclone forced the men to change course, abandoning plans to land in Brisbane and instead diverting around New Caledonia.
To remain unsupported, the brothers carried all their provisions on board—500kg of freeze-dried meals and 75kg of oats. Though prepared for 150 days at sea, they began rationing food during the final weeks as weather delays threatened to extend their journey. Emergency military rations and a fishing rod were kept as last-resort options.
The rowers endured extreme fatigue, sharing brief rest periods between long shifts at the oars. They relied on small morale boosts—like splitting a chocolate bar or making coffee—to push through. “Our superpower is being brothers,” Lachlan said. “We can be brutally honest with each other, but we also share the same history, and that kept us united.”
The MacLeans are no strangers to endurance feats. In 2020, they set a record rowing across the Atlantic. But they described this expedition as tougher, with Jamie calling it “the most incredible, relentless, and surreal experience of my life.”
Now back on land, the brothers say their first priorities are sleep, showers, and fresh food. “I just want a pizza,” Jamie admitted, while Lachlan said the first thing on his mind was “a freshly made bed with clean sheets.”
Despite the hardships, they reflected fondly on nights beneath star-filled skies and encounters with whales, dolphins, and seabirds. “This has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Ewan said. “But I couldn’t have done it without my brothers.”
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