Antigua's trailblazing women rowers set to conquer the Pacific Ocean
June 5, 2023
Four years after becoming the first Black team to row the Atlantic, the trailblazing Antiguan women are set to conquer the world’s deepest ocean.
Based on their success completing the 3,000-nautical mile Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge in 45 days, Samara Emmanuel, Christal Clashing and cousins Kevinia Francis and Elvira Bell received invitations to take part in the inaugural Pacific Challenge that is considered the world’s toughest rowing race.
They are among 14 teams participating in the 2,800-nautical mile race from Monterey, a hot spot for ocean lovers in California, to Kauai in Hawaii.
Christal Clashing (l), Kevinia Francis & Samara Emmanuel just hours before the start of the race (Photo contributed)
The race starts on June 12.
Unable to make the row for personal reasons, Bell will provide land support from Antigua.
Though unable to make the row this time, Elvira Bell (r) will provide land support to Christal Clashing (l), Samara Emmanuel & Kevinia Francis (Photo contributed)
Francis, the team captain, said they are prepared for the challenge.
“We didn’t know what to expect on the row across the Atlantic,” said the personal trainer. “We tried to anticipate things that could and would happen. Now we have a better understanding of what can happen and what to do to navigate those hurdles such as slow and fast winds.”
Equipped with a new boat is comforting for the team.
“The boat we used for the Atlantic race was on its fourth crossing and it came with a lot of mileage and some issues,” said Francis who was the 2015 Antigua & Barbuda national time trial cycling champion three years after taking up the sport. “It is brand new with a carbon fibre hull. It is light and fast.”
Thorough a weeklong poll in which 51 people submitted 64 names, ‘Dadli Gyal’ was selected as the name for their boat.
Dutch sailor Mark Slats, who holds the Atlantic solo record of 30 days set in 2018, helped prepared the Antiguan team whose training include core and aerobic and constant rowing.
Towards the end of January, he spent eight days on the island.
With Slats at the helm, they completed an island row in 18 hours and rowed from Barbuda to Antigua in 12 hours.
“The Barbuda to Antigua row was chosen because we were trying to simulate the expected conditions in the Pacific,” said Francis. “There are a lot of cross winds. We got a little seasick because we were exposed to the open ocean, but we were still able to function and perform in the conditions that we will face in the race.”
Christal Clashing (l), Kevinia Francis, Elvira Bell & Samara Emmanuel (Photo contributed)
The Antiguans are aiming to complete the event in under 40 days.
“Because the conditions off the coast of California are coastal, it will be very tough to get out of the American state,” said Francis who has a Master’s of Science in Physical Therapy from Florida International University. “After the first two weeks, the conditions should be similar to those we encountered in the Atlantic. Then again, you never know. Because of mechanical and technical issues, it took us 47 days to finish that race. With a new boat, we hope to cut down on the time. However, the Pacific is a bigger ocean with more wildlife and this is the typhoon season.”
Ever since crossing the Atlantic, the Caribbean women have been talking about pursuing another challenge together.
Christal Clashing (l), Samara Emmanuel, Elvira Bell & Kevinia Francis set for their next challenge (Photo contributed)
“We just didn’t know it was going to be another ocean,” said Costa Rican-born Christal Clashing who has lived in the Bahamas, Australia and England and was the first female swimmer to represent Antigua & Barbuda in the Olympic Games (2004 in Athens). “The fact that we were invited to this race is huge because it means we have some star power and people are paying attention to us.”
The aquatic adventurer and multi-media storyteller said Francis is the perfect team leader.
“Kev is great because she is a motivating and balancing force,” said Clashing who is pursuing a PhD in Human Computer Interaction at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. “We have a voting system in place, but we defer to her judgment at crunch time. She listens to our concerns and has led us very well.”
Samara Emmanuel, Antigua & Barbuda’s first certified female boat captain, is looking forward to the race.
“I am excited to be with my sisters,” she said. “We have developed a special bond and friendship right from the first time we got together to prepare for the Atlantic crossing. That was necessary because we rely on each other. We have different strengths and weaknesses, but we gel and work together as a cohesive group that is something that you need when you are doing an event like this.”
Emmanuel believes this is going to be their last ocean crossing.
“Going forward, I think we are going to be looking at land-based adventures,” she added.
Each team rows for a charity.
The Antiguans, in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Transformation Family & Social Services Division, are raising money for girls in conflict with the law.
“The lack of a correctional facility for girls’ means that those who transgress the law are sent to either group homes or to the island’s lone penal facility, thus exacerbating their problems,” noted Francis who was Antigua & Barbuda’s first Black belt instructor. “We are looking to get that facility up and running and then continue fundraising for resources.”
To assist with the fundraising, the team set up a GoFundMe page -- https://gofund.me/979ec3f7
Because of the overwhelming support they received from Canadians during the Atlantic Crossing, the Antiguans came to Toronto in October 2019 to show their gratitude.
