UK water retailer, Business Stream, has announced its sponsorship of an all-female rowing team, Scotland the Wave, who are set to take part in Atlantic Campaigns’ ‘World’s Toughest Row’ in December 2025.
Four Scottish women, Andrena McShane-Kerr, Nicola Lurking, Fiona Deakin and Heather McCallum will race 3000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean unaided in what’s considered to be the premier ocean rowing event, to raise money and awareness for their four chosen charities: Breast Cancer UK, Scottish Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA), Simba, and Lifeboats.
Racing against 35 other teams, in boats seven meters long and two meters wide with small cabins for storm protection, the rowers will take off from San Sebastian in La Gomera and complete at Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua.
With a two-hours-on, two-hours-off schedule, and living on rehydrated foods and potable water, the team will row continuously for up to 60 days. They are expected to row in excess of 1.5million oar strokes, while battling 20ft waves, potential storms and sleep deprivation – a real test of physical endurance and mental strength.
Andrena, from Scotland the Wave team, said: “To have companies like Business Stream supporting our challenge means the world. The mental and physical endurance will result in a life-changing achievement, that will never be forgotten, and all for causes close to our hearts. To have such great sponsors behind us makes that possible.”
Jo Dow, Business Stream CEO, said: “We’re delighted to be sponsoring Scotland the Wave to help raise money for such great charities. We’re in awe of the ladies and the challenge they’ve set themselves, and we’re really proud to be behind them.”
Aligned to Business Stream’s commitment to making a positive difference to the environment, the 2024 ‘World’s Toughest Row’ was the world’s first certified carbon-neutral expedition to cross the Atlantic – with solar panels fitting to each boat, desalinators used to make sea water potable and eliminating plastic bottles, biodegradable wipes and compostable rubbish bags. Every piece of plastic and paraphernalia taken on board is counted and weighed to ensure that everything that goes out, comes back.
