Southampton Grad Sets Atlantic Record

A Southampton graduate is part of the youngest duo to ever row across the Atlantic. Lawrence Walters, 23, and his partner Tom Rainey, 24, finished the challenge yesterday afternoon. The […]


A Southampton graduate is part of the youngest duo to ever row across the Atlantic.

Lawrence Walters, 23, and his partner Tom Rainey, 24, finished the challenge yesterday afternoon.

The mammoth task of rowing 4000 miles took 93 days for them to complete, having set off from New York on May 3rd.

Tom Rainey(R) and Lawrence Walters(L) return back to Salcombe, Devon

They were rowing to try and raise £250,000 for the Brain Tumour Charity, in honour of Tom’s father, Luke, who died of a brain tumour in 2012.

Lawrence said:

I’m doing well – I think, but a bit wobbly on my feet. It was really tough, we fought really hard. I had no energy reserves left, and you can’t replenish them until you get back to land because food is so short.

We had some of the best times in the last few days when we knew we were going home. We had thousands of people here to greet us home; it was the most amazing home coming.

I’m over the moon – I can’t believe what we have achieved. I’m really looking forward to having some dry clothes, drinking a cup of tea, and eating some bangers and mash.

The pair with New York in the background

The money raised will go to fund an early detection programme for the charity, to help prevent other families losing loved ones from the indiscriminate disease.

Together they make up team Ocean Valour, and on the course of their non-stop journey they have battled hurricanes, monster waves, hallucinations and a brutal capsize.

They had initially set out the break the record of the fastest ever time to cross- 55 days and 13 hours- but weather prevented them from doing so.

In fact, weather meant that for ten days they rowed hundreds of miles in a loop before having to retreat in order to get out of a massive eddy caused by the clash of two weather fronts.

However, this meant they broke the record for greatest distance covered in 24 hours in an ocean rowing boat, rowing for 112.5 nautical miles.

Inspired by the story? Want to help the boys reach their donation target? You can donate here.