The PhD student from the University of Bristol is the only solo woman from the UK registered to take part in the Great Pacific Race 2014, a new route for ocean rowers from California to Hawaii.
Described as an ‘extreme sports event’, it’s the first rowing race to cross this part of the world’s largest ocean.
Elsa will take on the tough challenge in a 24ft long, 6ft wide rowing boat as she attempts to conquer storms, seasickness and the psychological effects of so much time in isolation.
Along the way she will have encounters with rare marine life, plastic pollution, huge waves, flat calms, and many other experiences unique to rowing thousands of miles alone across open ocean.
The current world-record for the route is 64 days, set in 1997. Organisers predict that lone rowers, like Elsa, will complete the race in between 45 to 90 days, depending on weather and conditions.
Completing the challenge isn’t her only aim; Elsa also wants to be the fastest solo woman to row this stretch of the Pacific Ocean and to raise money for the Plastic Oceans Foundation, a UK-based charity tackling plastic pollution in the oceans.
Elsa, 28, doesn’t set sail for 10 months, but the hard work begins now - both in terms of training and fundraising.
Although she rowed for her college at university, Elsa will have to learn a whole new technique for the ocean – including learning to row with both oars instead of just one. She will also need to take and pass a number of different courses to help her survive alone in the Pacific.
She said: “I’ve done a fair bit of river rowing in the past, but ocean rowing is very different – you need more upper body strength to propel such a large boat forward through choppy waters and you’re certainly more at the mercy of the elements. Some days the wind will be so strong that rowing will be impossible - I will just need to put the sea anchor out and wait for the storm to pass.”
The boats are built to withstand heavy weather and will self-right in the event of capsizing. Conditions are basic, with a bucket for a toilet and desalinated seawater as drinking water.
Aside from needing to be incredibly fit in order to row solidly for three months, the costs of taking part in such a challenge are sizable. Elsa estimates that she’ll need to raise £100,000 in total through sponsorship and fundraising endeavours for the row to go ahead.
Elsa, who is studying English Literature, explained: “There are many more costs involved than people might realise. Not only do I have to buy a boat, there are also race fees and insurance to consider. I’m going to need lots of equipment such as a satellite phone and a desalinator to purify water, enough food to last three months, plus the cost of shipping everything out to California for the race.
“Once I have covered the core costs of undertaking the row through sponsorship, then I will be fundraising for the Plastic Oceans Foundation. My mission to get sponsorship begins now and I’m hoping a variety of businesses will want to get involved and support me in different ways. I’m also really keen to share my experiences with schools and different organisations before and afterwards.”
Elsa’s hoping to secure a second-hand boat from a UK team, which is when the training will get fully underway.
Ocean rowing boats are ruggedly designed and built from glass fibre, carbon fibre or other composite materials to withstand the worst of the weather that the ocean can throw at them. Each boat has a water tight cabin at each end. Generally one is used for storage and the other is used as the accommodation, where the rower can rest.
Elsa added: “I’ve wanted to row an ocean for over seven years, and realised that entering the inaugural race in the Pacific Ocean would be an excellent way to start. I feel really excited, although I’ve got a lot to achieve in the next 10 months before the race even gets underway.”