Visiting the Start Line: Gearing Up for the World’s Toughest Row
Jake Still, who is set to row the Atlantic in 2025 to raise funds for The Rivers Trust and Aire Rivers Trust, shares his firsthand experience of visiting La Gomera, where he watched the 2024 crews embark on their journey and gained valuable insights for his own challenge ahead.
10/02/25
At the end of this year, data scientist and rower Jake Still will take on the incredible challenge of rowing solo across the Atlantic while raising funds for The Rivers Trust and Aire Rivers Trust to support the rivers he cherishes back home. This is the third in his series of guest blogs, where he shares his journey—from training to ultimately facing The World’s Toughest Row. Catch up on Jake's first and second blogs to learn more about the challenge.
The World’s Toughest Row Atlantic 2024 race is nearing its end, with the final boats making their way to the finish line. This milestone also marks ten months until I launch from San Sebastián in La Gomera for my own crossing.
Back in December, I had the opportunity to travel to La Gomera and see the race start firsthand. It was an incredible experience to stand in the marina, surrounded by the fleet of ocean rowing boats lined up in the water. The atmosphere was fantastic, with race banners displayed across local businesses—restaurants, shops, and cafes all showing their support. It was amazing to see how much the community embraces the event.
If you’re taking on this challenge, I highly recommend visiting La Gomera before your race year. For me, it was incredibly useful to familiarise myself with the logistics of getting to the island and understanding where everything is. Even small things like knowing the layout of the marina and key locations can help ease the pressure when race week arrives. Getting to La Gomera requires flying into Tenerife and then taking a ferry across. That ferry ride was an experience in itself—my first taste of being rocked by deep Atlantic waves as we traveled between the islands. It was a little teaser for what I'll be facing daily in my little rowing boat.
One of the best parts of visiting the start line was seeing the largest gathering of ocean rowing boats in one place. Each crew had their own unique setup, and being able to compare different approaches was invaluable. It helped me generate ideas for the modifications and preparations I need to make for my own boat. I also got to reconnect with crews I’ve met over the past year—through sea survival courses or training in the North Sea at Hartlepool. Stepping aboard their boats, asking endless questions, and getting a deep dive into their gear was a fantastic learning experience. One key thing I wanted to check was how spares were secured, and seeing the various solutions gave me great insight.
Watching these crews set off from La Gomera made following the 2024 race even more special. Having met some of the rowers, it was incredible to dot-watch their journey across the Atlantic and celebrate their arrivals in Antigua.
But it wasn’t just current rowers there—La Gomera was filled with past and future rowers too. Some had completed the crossing in previous years, while others return annually, drawn back by the unique magic of this race. Speaking with them and hearing their stories was inspiring.
La Gomera holds a special place in the world of ocean rowing because of the World’s Toughest Row, and I feel privileged to be part of this incredible community.
