2026 Race Entrants

«Malihini Holo» – “going on the water as strangers”, join us for our adventurous journey across the Pacific to Hawaii. We are Judith Reist and Sandro Detig, a mother and son team from Switzerland.

Judith, a novice to rowing, has been preparing for this race while working as the head nurse of an elderly healthcare institution as well as a mother of five. Participating in the Pacific Crossing offers her the opportunity to break away from everyday life, and face a new challenge as well as experiencing harmony with nature.

Sandro, who has successfully completed the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge in 2021, is using his experience from the Atlantic race to face another trial at sea together with his mom in the Pacific.In everyday life Sandro is working as an IT-specialist.

Like many teams before us, we look forward to lots of breathtaking moments with the various marine wildlife that calls the Ocean their home. To make such marvelous moments possible for us and future generations, we need organizations like Whale Trust that value the conservation of sensitive marine habitats.

Whale trust is a non-profit organization from Maui, Hawaii, dedicated to scientific research, public awareness of whales and their environment. Their main focus is monitoring humpback whales and ensuring the preservation of their habitat. Off the coast of the Hawaiian island of Maui, mother humpback whales can be seen with their calves every single year. Through observation, Whale Trust is able to document their behavior and spread the data all over the world to further the conservation of their species and Habitat.

We look forward to supporting this organization and carry our donation across the pacific with us, at least symbolically.

Marieke and Renate are in for the Double. With their team of 4 ‘Atlantic Dutchesses’ they won the female class of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge 2020. Their story is not over yet. Loving the Ocean and addicted to rowing, they are ready for yet another adventure.

For an outsider it may be hard to follow why they can’t stop rowing and longing for another challenge that will put their stamina to new limits. But why explain when life is too short to do all the things you love doing.

The charity was an obvious choice: the Women’s Heart. Just like their Atlantic campaign they choose right from the heart for this charity as there is so much more research needed to identify differences between men’s and women’s hearts.

These two women follow their hearts: heart to follow.

As a team we want to raise awareness of the effects of ocean pollution and raise funds to tackle this issue. On a journey outside of our comfort zones we are excited go face to face with ocean rowing for the first time.
And as our challenge is a global one, we want to work with a global charity that shares our vision to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. This is a mission that everyone should be contributing towards and we think the best thing we can do is row to support The Ocean Clean Up. Their technology and big picture thinking continue to inspire us and make them the best equipped organisation to tackle this environmental crisis.