Tuesday, April 15, 2025
Setting out in April from Lima, Peru, three Scottish siblings aim to row non-stop and unsupported across the Pacific Ocean in a potentially record-breaking challenge to raise £1 million for clean water projects in Africa.
Brothers Lachlan (26), Jamie (31), and Ewan MacLean (32) hope to make the 8000 nautical mile route to Sydney, Australia, in 120 days, topping the current record of 161 days for a solo crossing.
No strangers to charitable ocean endeavours, the brothers rowed across the Atlantic in 2019 for the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, raising £200,000 for charity. After this, they set up the MacLean Foundation to raise capital for new clean water projects in Madagascar and other communities where access to safe drinking water is scarce.
“The Atlantic row opened our eyes to how fundraising through challenges like this can drive real tangible change,” said Jamie MacLean. “Clean water access is a cause we deeply believe in and is the main motivator behind the row.”
Brother Ewan furthered: “Through our visits to Madagascar, we’ve seen firsthand how something as simple as a clean borehole can transform a village, reduce disease, and create opportunities for education and economic growth. This row is about making that impact on a bigger scale.”
Their Pacific crossing will push human endurance to its limits. Rowing in shifts around the clock, they will battle relentless waves, sleep deprivation, and isolation, carrying barely enough water, freeze-dried food, and fish to sustain them.
The challenge has attracted a host of sponsors. Rare Whisky 101 is the title sponsor, funding the boat and logistics; Atacama for technical clothing; Norda for custom shoes; Claris Networks for Starlink satellite communication; and Formlabs for 3D-printed custom boat parts.
Contagious, an Edinburgh-based branding agency, has designed a striking wrap for their boat. And Zelim, known for pioneering man overboard response and recovery technologies, will provide personal safety equipment and a backup desalinator to turn seawater into something close to drinkable.
“Safety is paramount to the success of this expedition, and we are incredibly proud to support the MacLean Foundation and the brothers as they take on this feat of endurance,” said Zelim founder and CEO Sam Mayall. “We saw a perfect alignment between our mission to save lives at sea and the MacLeans’ challenge to save lives through cleaner water. Their drive, resilience, and commitment to saving lives resonate deeply. We wanted to ensure they have the best safety equipment available.”
Every piece of equipment has been specified for its durability and functionality. Their 30ft rowing boat, for instance, a major upgrade on their Atlantic vessel, is custom-built and fully carbon to reduce vessel weight to just 280kg. It has also been designed with input from ocean rowing experts, Formula 1 Racing engineers, and advanced materials specialists, with the aim of being the fastest and most efficient rowing boat ever put to sea.
“We learned a lot from our Atlantic crossing, and this time we’ve left nothing to chance,” Jamie said. “It will be our home for at least three months, so every aspect of the vessel and every piece of equipment has been specified to function flawlessly in extreme conditions.”
Aside from physical challenges the Maclean brothers will face, the row will play heavily on their mental strength. To this end, Chloe Lanthier, an elite endurance athlete who has worked with NASA, tennis player Rafael Nadal, and Paris Saint-Germain football team, has been a guiding hand, providing stamina and mental strength training.
“Chloe has been an invaluable, helping us not only get our bodies into shape, but also ensuring our minds are in the right place,” said Jamie. “Rowing across an ocean is as much a mental battle as a physical one, and her expertise has been crucial in getting us to this point.”
The Pacific route presents unique challenges. Unlike the Atlantic, where trade winds provide a relatively stable push westward, the Pacific is vast, unpredictable, and notorious for long periods of flat water that make rowing even more gruelling. The journey spans approximately 8000 miles, nearly halfway around the globe. Only a handful of solo rowers have completed it non-stop, and no team has yet managed to go the full distance unsupported.
Despite the enormity of the task, the MacLeans remain focused on their goal. “When we’re out there, exhausted and struggling, knowing that every stroke is bringing clean water to communities in need will keep us going,” said Lachlan.
The MacLean brothers’ Pacific row is set against the backdrop of a growing global water crisis. According to the United Nations, by 2025, half of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed areas. The funds raised through this challenge will go directly towards projects that provide sustainable access to clean water, transforming lives and communities in the process.
“This is about so much more than just us and our own personal achievement,” he said. “It’s about using our platform to drive real, tangible change and make a lasting impact on people’s lives. That’s what’s truly motivating us.
Image credit to Zelim.
