ATLANTIC CAMPAIGN 2027
THE MISSION
Courser Racing is a veteran-led nonprofit dedicated to building resilience, purpose, and connection among veterans through ocean rowing expeditions, mentorship, and adventure-based challenges.
Following a successful Pacific Ocean crossing from Monterey, California, to Kauai, Hawaii, Courser Racing is preparing a team of veterans for the 2027 World's Toughest Row Atlantic Challenge - a 3,000-mile unsupported race across the Atlantic Ocean from La Gomera, Spain to Antigua, Caribbean Island.
Courser Racing is excited to announce our Atlantic 2027 team!
Please join us in welcoming Mike Meador, Derrek Root, and Dwight Arceneaux—our next group of brave veterans stepping up to take on the 3,000-mile challenge across the Atlantic Ocean.
After rowing with us previously in Pensacola, Florida, Mike, Derrek, and Dwight made a lasting impression. This year’s skipper and first mate, Chris Farrington and Jere Hartman, felt this team was the perfect fit for the challenge ahead.
The road to the Atlantic will not be easy. Over the next year, the team will balance intense physical training, formal educational courses, fundraising, and their personal lives as they prepare for one of the toughest endurance events in the world.
But we are ready.
Together, this team represents resilience, commitment, and the spirit of Courser Racing. The journey to Atlantic 2027 starts now.
The Team
Chris Farrington
Jere Hartman
Mike Meador
Dwight Arceneaux
Derrek Root
Dwight ArceneauxCrew MedicUS Army Medical Veteran, Bowhunter, Rancher
Derrek RootEquipment SpecialistUS Army Infantry Veteran, Mountain Climber, Scuba Diver
US Army Special Forces Veteran, Pacific Ocean Crossing 2025, Director of Operations for Courser Racing
Chris Farrington SkipperUS Army Airborne Ranger Veteran, Pacific Ocean Crossing 2025, Director of Expedition Operations for Courser Racing
Jere HartmanFirst MateUS Army Aviation Veteran, Outdoorsman, No One Fights Alone (501c3) Board Member
Mike MeadorLead Navigator
tHE wORLD’S TOUGHEST ROW - aTLANTIC CAMPAIGN 2027
World’s Toughest Row brings together teams from all walks of life united by the same objective: to take on the unique challenge of crossing an ocean in a rowing boat. The atmosphere is electric as people help each other prepare for the challenge of the mighty Atlantic Ocean. Teams battle with sleep deprivation, salt sores, and physical extremes inflicted by the race. Rowers are left with their own thoughts, an expanse of the ocean and the job of getting the boat safely to the other side.
The race offers different experiences to all involved. The challenge creates strong friendships and competitiveness gives way to the camaraderie that is required to complete the challenge. Upon finishing, rowers join a small community of friends that have shared the adventures of an ocean crossing. The mental and physical endurance will result in a life-changing achievement, that will never be forgotten.
ROW FACTS
Each team will row in excess of 1.5 million oar strokes during a race.
The waves that the rowers experience can measure up to 20ft high.
The average rower loses around 20 pounds during a crossing.
There is no toilet on board – rowers use a bucket!
Crews will experience a range of temperatures, from as low as 50 degrees during the night shifts at the start to well into the 90’s with no shade. As well as added humidity as they approach the finish.
2027 Atlantic Campaign BUDGET
$137,423 Core GOAL + $50,000 Family Stretch
How You can Support
In December 2027, Courser Racing will send a team of veterans across 3,000 miles of open ocean in the World’s Toughest Row Atlantic—an unsupported crossing from La Gomera, Spain, to Antigua. This challenge is more than a race. It is a mission to restore purpose, strengthen connection, and prove what veterans can accomplish when they are given the opportunity to lead, endure, and overcome together.
Your donation directly supports the veterans taking on this mission. Courser Racing is a 100% volunteer, veteran-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit with no staff salaries, no administrative take, and a vessel already owned outright. Every dollar raised goes directly toward the campaign, including required training, safety equipment, food, logistics, communications, and getting the crew and boat to the starting line. Help us launch this team toward the Atlantic and stand behind the veterans who are willing to row beyond the horizon for something bigger than themselves.
• Atlantic Campaigns entry fee — the governing body for World's Toughest Row.
• Covers 24/7 race tracking, emergency coordination, weather routing support, and full race management.
• The fee is mandatory, non-negotiable, and non-refundable once registered.
Race Entry Fee• Race rules require active satellite communication throughout the crossing — no exceptions.
• Covers Iridium satellite phone service for 60+ days and the race-required tracking device subscription.
• Tracking is mandatory so the race organization can monitor each boat and coordinate emergency response.
• Also includes weather routing service, sponsor reporting, and social media satellite uplink equipment.
Communications• Container freight: Charleston, SC to La Gomera, Spain (race start) and Antigua to Charleston (return).
• Includes port handling fees, customs clearance, and marine transit insurance both directions.
• The Rannoch RX45 Relentless cannot race without being physically transported to Spain by September 2027.
Vessel Shipping• Largest line item: 5 crew members require international travel for 3 separate trips.
• Trip 1: Pre-race setup trip to La Gomera, Spain. Trip 2: Race departure. Trip 3: Return from Antigua post-finish.
• Covers round-trip airfare, lodging, ground transport, and pre-race preparation expenses per person.
• No crew member draws a salary or receives compensation — this covers travel costs only.
Crew Logistics• Required items: 406 MHz EPIRB, approved life raft, immersion suits, flares, and signaling equipment.
• Also mandated: watermaker (desalination), navigation lighting, and a race-approved medical kit.
• x2 Sets of oars (required new sets by World’s Toughest Row).
Safety & Equipment• World's Toughest Row mandates documented certifications before any team is cleared to race.
• Required: sea survival, safety at sea, first aid, open-water rowing hours, and vessel sea-worthiness inspection.
• Covers at least five full team training camp, ongoing physical preparation, and ocean rowing coaching.
• The 2026 Pensacola crew row is logged toward these requirements.
TrainingFood & Nutrition• 55+ days at sea, 5 crew, rowing 2 hours on / 2 hours off, 24 hours a day.
• Energy expenditure: 4,000 to 6,000 calories per person per day under sustained physical output.
• All food must be compact, calorie-dense, shelf-stable, and expedition-grade (freeze-dried, bars, supplements).
• Approximately $55 per person per day x 55 days x 5 crew, plus medical nutrition reserves.
Support the mission
Interested in donating or sponsoring a portion of the race?
Every contribution moves Courser Racing one step closer to the Atlantic. Whether you help fund required race fees, safety equipment, crew training, food, communications, vessel shipping, or something as simple and essential as a set of oars, your support directly helps put veterans on the water and toward the starting line.
This mission is bigger than a 3,000-mile ocean crossing. It is about giving veterans a renewed sense of purpose, connection, and challenge through something truly extraordinary. No donation is too small, and every act of generosity helps carry this team across the Atlantic. Thank you for standing with Courser Racing and the veterans brave enough to row beyond the horizon.