New Guinness World Record achieved by Surrey Vet

A University of Surrey lecturer has a new Guinness World Record. Hannah Davies and her crew now have the record for the fastest time a mixed team has taken to row unsupported around Great Britain. This achievement is part of her quest to collect data on microplastic pollution, underwater man-made sound, water temperature, salinity and biodiversity.

Credit: Hannah Davies

The team rowed over 2000 miles in just 50 days, helping to put them in the history books. The challenge was not without its complications, with the team facing headwinds for most of the journey, which made rowing conditions challenging.

Hannah Davies, a Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Clinical Practice at the University of Surrey’s School of Veterinary Medicine, said:

“I am extremely proud to have broken the Guinness World Record. As a team, we faced many difficulties on our journey. However, there were so many positives. This was a once-in-a-lifetime achievement, and I felt so privileged to see a lot of amazing wildlife, including minke whales on the east coast of Scotland and pods of dolphins on the south coast of England and the east coast of Ireland.

“This was not only a truly memorable experience, but we were able to collect vital data that will help support research on the state of our oceans and the conditions of our coastline.”

Data gathered from this epic voyage will help explore the impact of underwater man-made noise pollution. Sound travels much further in water and is used by many marine species to communicate, hunt, find a mate, navigate and avoid predators. Human activity from boats and machinery creates a lot of noise in the sea, which can impact marine animals, causing them to get lost/stranded, fail to find mates and become vulnerable to predators.

Professor Kamalan Jeevaratnam, Head of the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Surrey, said:

“Congratulations to Hannah on this tremendous achievement. Breaking a Guinness World Record requires skill, dedication, and determination, and Hannah has all three. I am delighted to have her here with us at the Vet School.”

The team, made up of Patrick Deacon (skipper), Adam Ravenscroft, Joe Benson, Hannah Davies, Lia Evans and Daisy Lucker, have to date raised over £7,000 in funds for the charity Surfers Against Sewage.

If you would like to support the team, please visit their Just Giving page.

Notes to editors