Irish woman part of first all-female team to row across Pacific

An Irish woman really has a handle on things as she joins the first all-female team to row across the Pacific Ocean this summer.

Aoife Ní Mhaoileoin, a doctor from Dublin, will be part of Team Boatylicious that will row from California to Hawaii — a distance of some 4,000km.

Team Boatylicious, one of 15 crews participating in the first Great Pacific Race, have been taking part in courses in sea survival and navigation, as well as training hard.

“Beyond the physical and psychological training, there are also a huge number of practical considerations,” says Aoife.

“We need to ensure that our boat is race-ready and that we have reliable water-purifying equipment and plenty of food — we’ll need to consume 5,000-6,000 calories a day.”

In any event, the team will have earned a holiday in Hawaii when they finally get there in July.

They will be pushing off on June 7 and rowing in two-hour shifts, 24 hours a day for up to 45 days — almost 1,000 hours of rowing each.

The team is completed by Emily Blagden, a trainee surveyor from London; Laura Kennington, a personal trainer from Essex; Ingrid Khvale, a documentary maker from Bristol but originally from California; and Anna Hughes, a cycling instructor from London.

Aoife says the women did not know each other before coming together as a team but believes the preparation and training would stand to them when the going got tough. “We’ve also spent time talking about it between ourselves, about how we cope and react to stress, and that preparation is half the battle,” she says

Aoife says their 8m boat could be facing into 13m waves if a big storm hits: “We will have to hold off rowing and be crammed into our cabin until it abates.”

Despite their huge daily calorie intake during the race, which is about three times the normal recommended amount, the team members still expect to lose up to a stone in weight.

Most of their food will be freeze-dried army ration packs, while their water will come from a desalinator, which will prove to be one of the most vital pieces of kit onboard. They will also have fishing gear to supplement an otherwise processed and limited diet.

Team Boatylicious is also raising funds for two charities.

* www.boatylicious.org