Three Scottish brothers, Jamie, Ewan and Lachlan Maclean, have set a world record by completing their extraordinary journey across the Pacific Ocean without the help of a support vessel. After 139 days at sea, they arrived in Cairns, Australia, on Saturday, covering a distance of more than 14.4 thousand nautical kilometers and becoming the first team to complete the full crossing from South America to Australia. During the long and difficult journey, the brothers faced severe storms, illness and injuries, including a dramatic moment when Lachlan was swept away by the waves. In addition to the physical challenges, they managed to raise more than $ 946 thousand as part of their goal to raise 1 million pounds for a project aimed at providing clean water.
Upon arrival in Australia, the brothers waved Scottish, Australian and British flags and were greeted by more than 50 family members, including their mother, as well as numerous supporters. A few hours before their arrival, Ewan, the eldest brother, posted a video in which he addressed the Australian Navy with a joke: “Do you have pizza and beers? Repeat, do you have pizza and beers? I’m done.”
Ewan, 33, described the adventure as the most difficult experience of his life, stressing that he would never have managed it without his brothers. Jamie, 31, added that by the end of the trip everything seemed like an impossible challenge that was successfully accomplished.
The three brothers plan to continue raising funds through their foundation, the Maclean Foundation, to fund projects that will provide clean water to an estimated 40,000 people in Madagascar. The previous record was held by Russian explorer Fyodor Konyukhov, who crossed the Pacific Ocean solo in 2014 in 160 days.
