4 March 2021: March is here, the world is warming up a bit, people are getting vaccinated and maybe things are looking up! Let's hope so anyway! Before we get into today's post, we need to correct an error in last week's post. In speaking of the America's Cup contest in New Zealand, we announced that, having eliminated both the American and British teams, Italy, for the first time, would be the challenger to sail against the Kiwis in the finals. That was in error; Italy won the right to challenge in 2000, but lost to New Zealand in five straight. So, Italy now has a chance to redeem herself this year when the finals begin this month (currently on a 2 week postponement due to an outbreak of Covid 19)!! So, good luck to them! Either way it goes, it will be record setting; team Lunarossa could win it, marking the 1st time an Italian team has done so, or New Zealand could hang on, giving them 4 successful defenses. It will be exciting to watch!
Speaking of records, a young lady (age 21) from England set a record by successfully rowing across the Atlantic recently in 70 days! From a variety of sources:
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Solo woman rows across Atlantic Ocean, becomes youngest female to make the journey
She did it.
Jasmine Harrison of England has become the youngest woman to row solo across an ocean, traveling 3,000 miles in 70 days, 3 hours and 48 minutes.
The 21-year-old from Thirsk, North Yorkshire, set sail from the Canary Islands on Dec. 12 and docked in Antigua on Saturday for the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, Sky News reports.
Harrison works as a swim instructor and bartender, BBC reports, and described the arduous achievement of crossing the Atlantic as "everything I wanted it to be".
"There's nothing like it, actually getting away from everything — social media, bad news, from literally everything," she explained.
Harrison aspired to enter the challenge after catching the finale in 2018, and thinking to herself, "Why not do it?" She also explained on her website that she had hoped to raise money for disaster-relief charity ShelterBox by entering the contest.
Fast-forward to late 2020, and Harrison qualified as one of only 21 boats (including solo rowers and crews of up to four) to enter "The World's Toughest Row," per ABC News.
"I think I ate 40 kilgrams [88 pounds] of chocolate," she joked to The Guardian.
All jokes aside, Harrison suffered a setback on Thursday when her boat capsized while she was asleep, causing her to injure her left elbow about 100 miles from the finish line.
"I was basically thrown at a wall at 20-odd miles an hour. That’s going to hurt, especially in the middle of your sleep," she recalled. Determined to continue, Harrison told the race doctor she was OK a few hours later, and could safely go on.
Entering harbor at last over the weekend, Harrison held up smoke signals and brandished the British flag once she stepped on shore.
The accomplishment made history, as Harrison is now officially "the youngest female to row solo across any of the world's oceans," per Sky News. Her epic adventure also ended up raising $14,000 for ShelterBox. (Prior to Harrison's achievement, Katie Spotz of the U.S. had been the youngest woman to row across the Atlantic at age 22 in 2010.)
Stepping ashore, Harrison told reporters the first thing that she wanted was something to eat. "Food," she said. "Definitely food."
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Amazing accomplishment and a hearty well done to Ms. Harrison. 70 days! Wow! And with a damaged elbow to boot!
Maybe by next week's post, we'll be able to announce that racing has begun in New Zealand. Stay tuned!
Until next time,
Fair Winds,
Old Salt
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