NEW Zealander Grant “Axe” Rawlinson and Australian Luke Richmond have set a new record, rowing from Houhora in far north New Zealand to Coffs Harbour in 22 days, two hours and 40 minutes – knocking nine days off the previous record.
Arriving in Coffs Harbour at 4.45pm on Friday 28 March, the men were escorted but not assisted by Marine Rescue.
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They were also jubilant, despite a particularly tough last day of rowing against strong headwinds.
Their vessel, “The Pavlova” is a Rannoch R25 two person rowboat, and was named after the famous dessert because it travelled from NZ to Australia.
Marine Rescue Coffs Harbour Unit Commander Jane Leach told News Of The Area, “The night before arriving in Coffs, Grant and Luke had to deal with massive swells and 30 knot wind pushing them to the north.
“Rowing hard, they completed the last few nautical miles and Marine Rescue Coffs Harbour’s vessel guided them to the public wharf at the marina to a terrific reception.”
Known as “The Ditch”, the Tasman has long been considered one of the world’s most unpredictable and challenging stretches of ocean, making this record-breaking row even more impressive.
The record was previously held by a four-person Australian team who completed the same crossing in 2007 in 31 days.
By Andrea FERRARI
