Maltese Rower Completes 51-Day Atlantic Crossing
Maltese rower Steve Chetcuti completed a grueling 51-day, 6,000-kilometer Atlantic crossing as part of a five-person crew that landed in French Guiana. The team endured storms and extreme conditions in tribute to Chetcuti's late brother. "It's been brutal!" Chetcuti said of the epic feat that underscores the physical and mental endurance required for such expeditions.
The 2021 journey was undertaken in memory of Steve Chetcuti's brother, Michael, who passed away from a brain tumor in 2018. The rower aimed to honor the courage and determination his brother showed during his illness. The expedition also served as a fundraiser for several charities, including Hospice Malta. Chetcuti, who had no prior rowing experience, was part of an international crew led by experienced skipper and adventurer Ralph Tuijn. The journey from Portimão, Portugal, to Kourou, French Guiana, covered nearly 6,000 kilometers. The team's official time was 51 days, 18 hours, and 1 second. Rowers on these expeditions face immense physical and mental challenges. Dangers include waves up to 40 feet high, encounters with sharks, and the risk of colliding with floating containers lost from cargo ships. Sleep deprivation, severe weather, and the sheer physical exertion are constant struggles. This was not Chetcuti's only Atlantic crossing. In early 2026, he made history again by becoming the first Maltese man to row the Atlantic solo and unsupported. That 4,828-kilometer journey took him 54 days, during which he lost 19kg and endured hallucinations and severe seasickness.
