All Female Rowing Crew Breaks Record from California to Hawaii

By edhat staff

An all-female rowing crew, including a Santa Barbara woman, has broken a world record on a trip from California to Hawaii.

Adrienne Smith of Santa Barbara, Libby Costello, Sophia Denison Johnston, and Brooke Downes are the Lat 35 women’s team who rowed more than 2,400 nautical miles in 34 days, 14 hours and 11 minutes. 

The crew departed from San Francisco as part of the "Great Pacific Race" on June 21. They rowed in two-hour shifts, averaging 90 minutes of sleep at a time, for 24 hours each day. They endured all the elements including seasickness, rough winds, and exhaustion before reaching land at the Waikiki Yacht Club around 6:40 p.m. Hawaiian time. 

Smith, who operates the Power of Om yoga studio in Santa Barbara, was greeted at the Yacht Club by her partner and four-year-old daughter. 

The crew did it unassisted and had never rowed in the deep ocean before and they all did it for a cause, raising money for the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Their record breaking trip was documented on their Instagram page, @lat35racing. 

The crew gave their first interview to Good Morning America on Tuesday. It can be seen here.

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