Maltese rower Steve Chetcuti will be participating in this year’s World’s Toughest Row – and he’s doing it solo.
Chetcuti, a former editor of The Malta Independent, said he will join 42 other teams to row across the Atlantic Ocean, a gruelling 3,000-mile (4,800km) journey where he “will face waves up to five metres high, sleep deprivation, hallucinations, pains, and sores as he rows up to 16 hours a day”.
As a solo, Chetcuti – whose team name is Cross Rower – will have to take care of navigation, maintaining his boat, checking the weather, taking care of personal hygiene, preparing food, keeping healthy, and rowing. The ocean crossing is a daunting task which can take anything up to 85 days, and even longer depending on the weather.
“It’s a mammoth trip that will test every fibre of my physical and mental capabilities. It’s hard enough in a team, but going alone increases the difficulty considerably. My goal is to complete the race in 50 days but a lot depends on weather and sea conditions,” Chetcuti said.
“I expect to row for a minimum of 13 hours a day, possibly up to 16 hours. When not rowing, I hope the wind will be in the right direction. Mother Nature has a very big say in how fast you go. If you face headwinds, you’ll slow down and even go backwards,” he said.
Chetcuti will be the first Maltese to take part in the World’s Toughest Row, a race which starts off from La Gomera on the Spanish Canary Islands, and ends in Antigua. The race starts on 11 December 2025 at 10am CET (to be confirmed, depending on weather). The race start is staggered with boats leaving every three minutes. Solos will leave last.
This will not be Chetcuti’s first crossing – in 2021, he rowed the Atlantic Ocean as part of a team of five. The 55-year-old rower is aiming to be the first Maltese person to row an ocean solo and unsupported.
Contrary to popular belief, there will be no support boat following Chetcuti – or the other competitors – as the race makes its way across the ocean.
“I’ll get on my boat Kamila in La Gomera and get off in Antigua,” he said. ”I will, however, jump in the sea around four to five times to clean the hull from barnacles during the race as these slow down the boat.”
While the hurricane season ends in November, it’s possible Chetcuti faces storms or inclement weather. If he does, he has a sea anchor to keep him from moving too far backwards. When storms hit, Chetcuti will be forced into one of the two cabins to sit it out.
The boat is self-righting, meaning it can capsize. “It won’t be fun, but at least I’ll be safe,” Chetcuti said.
While being part of a race, Chetcuti will be alone in the vast Atlantic Ocean. He has a small land-based team to help with routing and moral support, plus the race organizers will be in daily contact with all race participants to provide any help that may be needed and to check on the welfare of rowers.
Chetcuti is rowing to raise awareness around loneliness and his message is clear – reach out to people as they may be suffering in silence. Even a simple ‘hello’ can help.
Loneliness affects up to one in five people in Europe. The figure is as high as one in two people in Malta. The Foundation for Social Welfare Services offers invaluable support to help.
He is also supporting the musical theatre group Margarita, a gathering of young artists who put up shows and donate the takings for charitable causes.
How to follow
The race is expected to begin on 12 December at 11.30am CET. However, it may start earlier or later depending on the weather.
To watch the start of the race and follow him as he crosses the ocean, go to www.worldstoughestrow.com or download the YB Races app and add the race World’s Toughest Row.
Chetcuti, who is affiliated with the Siggiewi Rowing Club, will have internet on board and is expected to post occasional updates – you can follow him on his Instagram account. You can also support his row via his GoFundMe account.