Salt, sweat and tears: Royal Navy personnel pushed to the limit on World's Toughest Row

Personnel from across the Armed Forces are battling sleep deprivation, violent storms and towering 40ft waves as they take on the World's Toughest Row. 

Sailing under the aptly named HMS Oardacious, Commodore Rich Purdy is joined by Lieutenant Commander Guy Wilton, Warrant Officer First Class Liam Hoddy and Surgeon Lieutenant Commander Addi Taylor for this year's gruelling 3,000-mile race across the Atlantic. 

Rowing from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to the Caribbean Island of Antigua, the challenge will push the men to their physical and mental limits, all while raising vital funds for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity, with donations supporting the HMS Oardacious Fund.  

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The annual race, which began on 14 December and is expected to last around six weeks, is recognised as one of the toughest endurance challenges on earth. 

Bringing together 43 teams and 114 rowers from 20 nations, this year marks the fifth time a team representing HMS Oardacious has taken on the formidable event.

They will be joined by two other teams made up of Armed Forces personnel: Force Atlantic, who are set to make history as the first all–junior-rank team to compete, and Per Ardua 21 – a team of four RAF veterans with an average age of 56 – making them some of the oldest competitors taking on the challenge. 

Making good headway, HMS Oardacious confirmed in a post on X that morale was still high, despite the conditions being "wicked and wild".

Since 2020, the Royal Navy's ocean rowing team has inspired millions with their record-breaking challenges, raising awareness for mental health and more than £1.3m for service charities.

And this year's team has big shoes to fill. 

The 2023 HMS Oardacious team not only claimed victory but also set the world's fastest military time, completing the race in 35 days, 4 hours, and 30 minutes.

The following year, a serving crew of women Royal Navy sailors under the name HMS Oardacious Valkyries made history as the first all-female Royal Navy crew to cross an ocean with a time of 46 days, 12 hours, 26 minutes.

Race facts

Courtesy of the World's Toughest Row, here are some remarkable race facts that underline the extraordinary nature of what the teams are undertaking throughout the festive period. 

:: Each team will row in excess of 1.5 million oar strokes during a race.

:: Team Fortitude IV achieved the fastest 24 hours ever with 107.45 nautical miles covered.

:: The fastest row across the Atlantic was a four-man team, The Four Oarsmen, who finished in 29 days, 14 hours and 34 minutes.

:: Each rower is expected to use 800 sheets of toilet paper during their crossing.

:: Crews will experience a range of temperatures, from as low as 10 degrees during the night shifts at the start to well into the 30s with added humidity as they approach the finish.

:: In the 2016 race, solo rower Daryl Farmer arrived in Antigua after 96 days, rowing without a rudder to steer with for nearly 1,200miles/40 days.

:: Rowers burn in excess of 5,000 calories per day.

:: The average rower loses around 8kg during a crossing.

:: In the 2018 race, solo rower Kelda Wood (Row 2 Raise) was kept company by a whale for nearly seven days. 

The HMS Oardacious crew have currently raised more than £2,900 of their target of £20,000. 

If you would like to support the team, you can donate by clicking the link.