Soutu | Dolphins kept track of Finnish “sea panthers” in the transatlantic rowing: the first barn swim has also been done

Finn rowing duo, Markus Mustelin and John “To whom” Blässar, has now skied in the Atlantic Challenge for a week. The duo still lead the series of the transatlantic pair of aerial twins and are ranked 17th in the overall competition.

The overall ranking has dropped because the Finns have already stayed on the southern route they had chosen in advance. Some of the competitors have gone more directly towards Antigua.

“I would say the real race only starts when all the boats get on the fair. In that respect, our position is good, ”says Mustelin.

According to the race organizers, it is only later that we can say which route choice is better. The Finnish duo estimates that they can get better in the wind with their own route choice. They turn to the west and the Caribbean, according to estimates, on Monday.

The Atlantic has been quite calm for long periods in the early stages of the race. Picture: Two Rowing Finns

The first trip has been heavy for all the crews. For the most part, rowing has taken place either in calm weather or even in headwinds.

“Heavy rowing in the headwind, hitting hard and aching. However, the dreaded blisters have not come into their hands or elsewhere. We are really looking forward to the world, ”Blässar said on Sunday morning.

In addition to rowing, Finns have been able to admire parasitic swarms of dolphins. They’ve also been in the water themselves: at the same time, the duo got their nickname “sea panthers” from their backing forces based on their swimsuit fashion.

Markus Mustelin jumped into the water in the Atlantic. Picture: John Blässar

The first boat bottom wash has been done.

“There are no barnacles here,” Blässar says as he cleans the bottom.

Barnacles, or goose-necked crustaceans, are expected to stick to the bottom of the boat, especially at a later stage of the competition. The Finnish duo often try to clean the bottom so that there is no catching that slows down the journey.

Mustelin says that seasickness has not bothered them at any point, unlike several other competitors. That’s why the food has tasted good too – the duo have come up with mutual excitement.

“We ended up with the dish‘ chef’s surprise ’. One makes food for the other and does not tell what is on offer, ie which bag adds the ingredients to the water, ”says Mustelin.

By 10 a.m. Finnish time, the Finnish duo had advanced 426 nautical miles, or about 789 kilometers. There are about 2,283 nautical miles left. The current estimated total travel time is nearly 62 days, but trade winds are expected to significantly accelerate progress.