Chay Blyth decided to organise a race across the Atlantic.
The race from the Canaries to the Caribbean, allowed the crews to take advantage of prevailing trade winds.
On the 7th of October 1997, thirty two-man rowing boats set off from Los Gigantes.
The inaugural Atlantic Rowing Race was a ground breaking event, proving that it was possible to
navigate across an ocean in a small ocean rowing boat and to arrive at a destination 2,900 nm later.

When Rob Hamill and Phil Stubbs crossed the finish line in their boat Kiwi Challenge to win the
1997 Atlantic Rowing Race they made crossing in 41 days of constant rowing.