Musto Skiff sailors back Atlantic Rowing Challenge
by Natalie Hilton 10 Oct 09:17 PDT
Sailors at the 2026 Musto Skiff UK National Championship © George Day
Following the recent Musto Skiff UK National Championship at North Berwick, the UK fleet was inspired to collectively support a trio of Scottish sailors swapping their sails for oars in pursuit of an extraordinary challenge.
The Musto Skiff UK class has since become part of the Saltire Tides 250 Club, a group of supporters donating £250 or more to help the crew get to the start line.
The Musto Skiff sailors were first introduced to Ellen Clark during the UK Nationals Gala Dinner at East Lothian Yacht Club, where she was representing Saltire Tides, an all-female crew preparing to row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic as part of the World's Toughest Row 2026.
Many of the Musto Skiff sailors were already familiar with Ellen, but most were unaware that she was preparing for a demanding endurance challenge, while also fundraising for an important cause.
The challenge will start on the 12th of December, with the trio departing from La Gomera in the Canary Islands with the aim of reaching Antigua in 40 days or less. Ellen, who is local to North Berwick and an active dinghy sailor in the RS200 class, will be joined by Jenna Volpert and Lauren Wilde-Arnold, both outdoor enthusiasts with sailing backgrounds.
Away from their sporting pursuits, all three women work within the healthcare profession. Ellen is an Orthopaedic Physiotherapist, Jenna a Paediatric Surgical Trainee, and Lauren an MSK and Endurance Sport Physiotherapist.
A challenge of endurance and determination
Whilst the challenge requires the trio to trade a sailing boat for a rowing boat, the team will draw upon many of the same qualities familiar to sailors: resilience, navigation skills, teamwork, and the ability to perform in an unpredictable marine environment.
Spending weeks at sea, Ellen, Jenna and Lauren will be rowing in shifts around the clock while also managing sleep, navigation, maintenance and daily life aboard their three-person rowing boat. During the crossing, the team will rely on a desalination system to produce drinking water and a Jetboil stove to heat water and prepare dehydrated meals.
Commenting on their motivation to complete the Atlantic rowing challenge, Ellen said: "We met living together and working in Dundee, and we soon discovered our shared love of the outdoors and self-powered adventure. All three of us are taking on this challenge to inspire others to push their boundaries and believe that people are always more capable than they think.
"We want to encourage others, particularly other women and young people, to say yes to the opportunities that life gives them, regardless of how big or small. We are all incredibly excited to be taking on this challenge and are counting down the days to the start."
Part of the challenge campaign includes raising essential funds and awareness for the Archie Foundation, a Scottish children's hospital charity.
Ellen said: "As three healthcare workers, we have seen first-hand the incredible impact this charity has on the lives of children and their families. They provide funding for specialist training and equipment, bereavement services, support funds for emergency hospital stays, and assist in the creation of child-friendly hospital environments."
Musto Skiff UK Class Treasurer, Jamie Hilton, who initiated the class fundraising effort during the Gala Dinner evening said: "Ellen was volunteering at the club for our National Championship when she took the opportunity to pitch her rowing challenge to the fleet during our event dinner. We were all truly inspired by what she and her fellow adventurers were taking on, and we wanted to support both their quest and The Archie Foundation. We had seen a range of conditions over the course of our championship on the Firth of Forth, so we could only imagine how daunting it would be for three rowers to spend weeks crossing the Atlantic and the varied conditions that they'll be facing. Truly daunting. We wish them well."
Counting Down to the Atlantic Crossing
The all-female crew is now entering the final stages of preparation, with only a few months to go before their Atlantic crossing begins. Having recently completed all their mandatory training requirements, the trio is now focused on the final phase of fundraising, with a target of £140,000 to be raised through their GoFundMe campaign.
Initial funds raised will help to cover essential costs, including the purchase of the boat, specialist equipment, food and supplies onboard, shipping, and training. Once the crossing has been completed, the boat, along with any remaining supplies and equipment, will be sold. Proceeds from those sales, together with any additional funds raised, will go directly to The Archie Foundation.
To find out more about the Saltire Tides challenge, support the campaign, or join the Saltire Tides 250 Club, visit the Saltire Tides website. You can also follow their challenge journey on Facebook and Instagram at Saltire Tides.