In 2016, we followed Norwegian Stein Hoff as he attempted to duplicate the feat of the first-ever successful ocean rowers George Harbo and Frank Samuelsen, also Norwegian. Harbo and Samuelsen had been sponsored by the Police Gazette and named their boat the “Fox” after Gazette publisher Richard K. Fox. To the shock and surprise of everyone, they managed to not only survive the crossing, they made it in only 55 days–a record that still stands to this day for boats with fewer than three rowers. Stein, an accomplished ocean rower himself, tried it solo, but was stopped by a violent storm three-quarters of the way across. Today, however, fellow Norwegians Stian Aker and Rune Malterud arrived at England’s Scilly Isles, completing the Harbo and Samuelsen route in 58 days. We congratulate Aker and Malterud and welcome them to the Harbo and Samuelsen family!
Stian Aker and Rune Malterud arrive at Saint Mary’s, Scilly Isles, in the morning of July 23, 2018.