guidelines

(guidelines are currently in development. brief outline of guidelines is presented on this page)

boat

The vessel shall only be propelled by human-power, the natural action of the wind, waves and currents acting on the vessel, its crew and equipment while operating in their normal manner and intended function.

• There shall be no use or attempted use of any equipment that deliberately reduces human-power effort or increases boat speed

• ORSi accepts a wind generator

• SUN Canopies should Not to be fitted

• Boat to be self-righting or rightable in the event of capsize

performance

The ORSI suggests that all crews conduct their row in an "unsupported" way, without any physical support from the outside.

• The only completely “unassisted” expeditions were some of the historic rows, and therefore in modern day human-power ocean exploration ORSI only considers supported vs non supported

• Electronic communication including Satellite phones and computers are acceptable and does not constitute support

• Any form of tow during any part of the voyage will be considered outside support

• Speed records won’t be adjudicated if a tow was received at any Point, however other records may still be considered if the boat reached the vicinity of land without support.

• In the event that a crew member is evacuated for any emergency reason, the row may proceed with "unsupported status" Intact

• The crew or solo rower cannot set foot on any other vessel during the ocean crossing without losing "unsupported" status

• The timekeeping for an ocean crossing will only stop when the crew or solo rower has set foot on land at the finish position

• human-power ocean exploration is considered a drug free sport. Drugs in a standard medical kit may be only used for legitimate first aid reasons

• First and last 24h of the expedition the tracker needs to be updated every hour, and every 15 minutes In order to claim mainland to mainland status

• further details regarding communication with ORSI in order for the row to be approved are sent upon registration

• Protests and other claims require additional registration fee

expedition

An expedition can be registered by the ORSI when the route covers at least the minimum distance (as the crow flies):

• 2000NM+ on Easterlies open waters

• 1600NM+ on Westerlies open waters

• 600NM+ on Polar coastal waters

• 400NM+ on Polar open waters

• and/or when approved by ORSI

Expeditions on open water apply only to pure human-power expeditions from land to land, which follow all the ORSI guidelines, excluding those around islands, within archipelagos and coastal rows, i.e. within vicinity of land and possibility to get ashore. Coastal rows and expeditions are approved only in the Polar regions (above the Arctic Circle or within the actual boundaries of the Southern Ocean)

records

The average speed of a vessel is the core of the Speed Record.

There are four routes qualifying for the ocean crossing speed record for the Atlantic Ocean - East to West:

Trade Winds 1

This is the classic ‘Trade Winds’ route for the Atlantic and is the busiest one, with human-power vessels competing for the Blue Riband Trophy of ORSI.

• start at any point in the Canaries or continental Africa (North from or from 27:35N, the longitude of the Southern point of El Hierro, i.e. the southern boundary of the Canaries), and finish at any Caribbean Island or South America assuming that a point to point distance is not less than 2500 nautical miles and not exceeding 2900 nautical miles as the crow flies;

Trade Winds 2

• start at any point in Cape Verde or continental Africa (south from 27:35N) and finish in the Caribbeans or South America.

From Europe to West Indies

• start at any point of continental Europe and finish in any Caribbean Island

From Europe to South America

• start at any point of continental Europe and finish in any point of the continental South America

The Ocean Explorers Grand Slam

• is awarded upon completion of open-water crossings on all five oceans using human-powered vessels. The award is recognized by Guinness World Records.

Boat and vessel classes

MONO-HULL vessels are separated into two classes based on their hull and cabin configuration.

Classic class

Used since the beginning of ocean rowing

• Stern cabin higher than bow cabin

• V-shaped hull

• Uses hull shape and rudder for directional stability

• and/or confirmed by ORSI

Open class

Introduced to ocean rowing recently

• stern cabin equals or lower than bow cabin

• Flat bottomed hull

• Relies on centerboard and rudder for directional stability

• and/or confirmed by ORSI

4,5% of expeditions were achieved in other types of boats such as non-row boats: kayak, paddle, pedal; or multihull row boats

Fastest Ocean Rowing Boat Timeline: