139 days: 3 Scottish brothers set a record for fastest row across the Pacific
Three Scottish brothers set a world record Saturday for completing the fastest unsupported row across the full Pacific Ocean.
Jamie, Ewan and Lachlan Maclean completed the journey in 139 days, arriving in Cairns, Australia. They rowed over 9,000 miles non-stop from Peru, becoming the first team to achieve the full crossing from South America to Australia.
The trio from Edinburgh endured storms, seasickness, injuries and violent storms, including one that swept Lachlan overboard, while raising over £700,000 ($945,690) toward a £1 million ($1,350,450) target for clean water projects.
The three rowed into the Cairns Marlin Marina playing the bagpipes and waving the Scottish, Australian and United Kingdom flags. More than 50 family members, supporters and fans, including their mother Sheila, greeted the brothers.
In the hours before their arrival, the eldest brother, Ewan, uploaded a video calling the marina ahead of their approach.
“Do you have pizza and beer? I repeat, do you have pizza and beer? Over.”
The 33-year-old said the journey was the hardest thing he had ever done, one he would have never contemplated without his siblings.
“We’ve shed tears of joy and laughed till our cheeks hurt,” he said.
Middle brother Jamie, 31, said things began to look dire towards the end.
“We seriously thought we might run out of food,” he said.
The Macleans said the experience gave them a new perspective on life. They plan to continue fundraising as they aim to fund projects that provide clean water to 40,000 people living in Madagascar through the brothers’ charity, the Maclean Foundation.
The previous record for the fastest full, unassisted, nonstop Pacific row was 160 days, set by Russian solo rower Fyodor Konyukhov in 2014.
You read that white: Pantone’s 2026 Color of the Year is ‘Cloud Dancer’
This is the first time Pantone has chosen a shade of white. The company says it's "a lofty white that serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection."
CDC advisers delay planned vote on hepatitis B vaccine for infants
After a contentious discussion, the vaccine advisory group pushed the vote to Friday to give members time to study the language of proposed changes longstanding policy on the shots.
DOJ orders prison inspectors to stop considering LGBTQ safety standards
A memo obtained by NPR shows the Justice Department is telling inspectors to stop evaluating prisons using standards designed to protect trans and other LGBTQ community members from sexual violence.
U.S. reconsiders Tanzania ties after deadly post-election crackdown
The U.S. is "comprehensively reviewing" its relationship with Tanzania after hundreds were killed in a violent post-election crackdown.
How old is your music taste? Spotify will tell you, though you may not like it
Spotify Wrapped is bluntly telling users their "listening age," which in many cases is several decades older or younger than their actual age. It's a calculated strategy.
Tune in to a mini-concert with Nation of Language
The New York band performs tracks from their latest album, Dance Called Memory.
