Dubai residents battle 120kph winds and 15m waves in 4,400km Great Pacific Race


Kelly Clarke
  • English
  • Arabic

Fifty-eight days and more than 4,000 kilometres into her quest to cross the Pacific Ocean by rowing boat, Dubai resident Jane Leonard has experienced joy, fear and exhilaration.

She has battled towering 15-metre waves, 120-kilometre-an-hour winds and severe sleep deprivation as part of the Great Pacific Race – with the finishing line now in sight.

Alongside Orlagh Dempsey, 27, captain of the Dubai Sharks Ladies rugby team, and Vicki Anstey, 43, who lives in the UK, the Girls Who Dare team set off on their oar-inspiring challenge on May 31 with the aim to row, unassisted, from San Francisco to Hawaii in a compact seven-metre rowing boat.

The biggest thing is the constant battle on your body. My hands are destroyed with blisters and we have sores on our bums from sitting for hours each day. When the salt water hits them it’s awful
Jane Leonard

The team – who are all amateur rowers – spent months planning and preparing for their 4,440-kilometre mission, recognised as one of the toughest races on Earth.

Rowing 24 hours a day on a four-hours-on, two-hours-off schedule, Ms Leonard said she has struggled most with the lack of privacy on board.

“We’ve been hit hard by rain, wind and major fatigue, but one of the toughest things for me has been trying to carry on with daily life on a small boat,” she told The National via satellite phone.

“Going to the toilet in a bucket in front of my teammates, I’m not massively comfortable with that, and trying to brush your teeth in battering winds, it's hard.

“The biggest thing is the constant battle on your body. My hands are destroyed with blisters and we have sores on our bums from sitting for hours each day. When the salt water hits them it’s awful.

.
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“Going into a rowing shift with sores all over takes so much mental strength, but if I had the opportunity to do this again, I would.”

Nicknamed the “trifector of awesome” by friends and family following their journey online, the women have been living on a small boat for nearly two months and have faced some of the most adverse weather conditions in the race’s history.

The boat carries no sail or engine, and is moved only by the muscle of the crew.

More than one million strokes

The team set off from the start line under the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, US on May 31 and will finish up at the Waikiki Yacht Club in Hawaii within the next day or so.

By the end of the gruelling race, each member of the team will have consumed about 300,000 calories, lost 9kg each and clocked up about 1.3 million oar strokes.

The team have battled towering 15m waves, 120kph winds and severe sleep deprivation as part of the Great Pacific Race.
The team have battled towering 15m waves, 120kph winds and severe sleep deprivation as part of the Great Pacific Race.

The weight loss is caused by the colossal energy output of rowing for 16 hours in a 24-hour day.

On board the boat, Girls Who Dare have a laptop, satellite phone and GPS tracker for navigation.

Solar panels positioned on the front and back of the vessel help to charge the onboard batteries during daylight hours.

Their sleeping quarters consist of a tight nook below deck, measuring 2m by 1.5m, where they take turns to rest before heading back out to complete a rowing shift.

'Fingers locked in position'

“Sleep is hard. It gets to a point where you’re so tired that you can’t sleep. But if you don’t, you know the next rowing shift is going to be even tougher than the last,” said Ms Leonard, a sports trainer in Dubai.

“The rowing itself isn’t that hard, but it’s everything that comes with it. Your fingers get locked in position and it’s hard to straighten them.

“We brought six oars on board and two have been snapped in half from the sheer force of the water and wind in bad weather conditions.”

To help fuel the team during the race, there is a small stove and supplies of dehydrated food, including chicken curry, carbonara and noodles.

A desalination system acts as the team’s main lifeline, turning saltwater into drinking water.

“Eating and drinking is a necessity but there are times when having to face another freeze-dried meal can turn your mood,” she said.

“We have already ordered our first meal when we get on land; a big burger and chips. It will be weird eating normal food again.”

This year’s race, which has three teams competing, is the fourth since the inaugural event in 2014.

To date, only 16 teams – comprising 48 rowers – have completed the Great Pacific Race and set 16 world records, including the oldest and youngest people to row the Pacific.

The largest, deepest and most biodiverse ocean on Earth, the Pacific has proved a tough habitat for the women.

Early on in the race, they had issues with the steering, were blown backwards every time they took the slightest of breaks and struggled to make westerly progress.

But in the weeks following, the team have proved their worth and impressed race directors with their sheer mental strength and ability.

The team are raising funds for charities The Harlequins Foundation, Inspiring Girls and Mates in Mind, which support the empowerment of women by helping them achieve their mental and physical potential.

They have so far raised £89,000 ($124,203) of their £130,000 target.

The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
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How to vote

Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.

They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi

Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday) 

No.6 Collaborations Project

Ed Sheeran (Atlantic)

Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

RESULTS

6pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah – Group 2 (PA) $40,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: AF Alajaj, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)

6.35pm: Race of Future – Handicap (TB) $80,000 (Turf) 2,410m
Winner: Global Storm, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

7.10pm: UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Azure Coast, Antonio Fresu, Pavel Vashchenko

7.45pm: Business Bay Challenge – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Storm Damage, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor

20.20pm: Curlin Stakes – Listed (TB) $100,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Appreciated, Fernando Jara, Doug O’Neill

8.55pm: Singspiel Stakes – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Lord Glitters, Daniel Tudhope, David O'Meara

9.30pm: Al Shindagha Sprint – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Meraas, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi

Specs%20
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
JOKE'S%20ON%20YOU
%3Cp%3EGoogle%20wasn't%20new%20to%20busting%20out%20April%20Fool's%20jokes%3A%20before%20the%20Gmail%20%22prank%22%2C%20it%20tricked%20users%20with%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Farchive.google%2Fmentalplex%2F%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3Emind-reading%20MentalPlex%20responses%3C%2Fa%3E%20and%20said%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Farchive.google%2Fpigeonrank%2F%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3E%20well-fed%20pigeons%20were%20running%20its%20search%20engine%20operations%3C%2Fa%3E%20.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIn%20subsequent%20years%2C%20they%20announced%20home%20internet%20services%20through%20your%20toilet%20with%20its%20%22%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Farchive.google%2Ftisp%2Finstall.html%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3Epatented%20GFlush%20system%3C%2Fa%3E%22%2C%20made%20us%20believe%20the%20Moon's%20surface%20was%20made%20of%20cheese%20and%20unveiled%20a%20dating%20service%20in%20which%20they%20called%20founders%20Sergey%20Brin%20and%20Larry%20Page%20%22%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Farchive.google%2Fromance%2Fpress.html%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3EStanford%20PhD%20wannabes%3C%2Fa%3E%20%22.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EBut%20Gmail%20was%20all%20too%20real%2C%20purportedly%20inspired%20by%20one%20%E2%80%93%20a%20single%20%E2%80%93%20Google%20user%20complaining%20about%20the%20%22poor%20quality%20of%20existing%20email%20services%22%20and%20born%20%22%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fgooglepress.blogspot.com%2F2004%2F04%2Fgoogle-gets-message-launches-gmail.html%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3Emillions%20of%20M%26amp%3BMs%20later%3C%2Fa%3E%22.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

Manchester City transfers:

OUTS
Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy, Willy Caballero and Jesus Navas (all released)

INS
Ederson (Benfica) £34.7m, Bernardo Silva (Monaco) £43m 

ON THEIR WAY OUT?
Joe Hart, Eliaquim Mangala, Samir Nasri, Wilfried Bony, Fabian Delph, Nolito and Kelechi Iheanacho

ON THEIR WAY IN?
Dani Alves (Juventus), Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)
 

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Where to donate in the UAE

The Emirates Charity Portal

You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments

The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.

Al Noor Special Needs Centre

You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.

Beit Al Khair Society

Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.

Dar Al Ber Society

Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.

Dubai Cares

Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.

Emirates Airline Foundation

Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.

Emirates Red Crescent

On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.

Gulf for Good

Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.

Noor Dubai Foundation

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).

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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League last-16, second leg:

Real Madrid 1 (Asensio 70'), Ajax 4 (Ziyech 7', Neres 18', Tadic 62', Schone 72')

Ajax win 5-3 on aggregate

Honeymoonish
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elie%20El%20Samaan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENour%20Al%20Ghandour%2C%20Mahmoud%20Boushahri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Updated: July 29, 2021, 6:17 PM`