Youth development squad alumni Ruby Scholten is switching over to a different form of ocean racing. Ruby and her team will be ditching the sails and replacing them with oars to take on the Atlantic ocean.
Ruby was a member of the youth development program which introduced her to match racing and ocean racing. She competed for RPAYC, match racing at an international level and was part of the first all female team to win the Hardy Cup international youth match racing regatta in 2018. She did her first offshore race on Pretty Women and her first Sydney to Hobart on Insomnia.
The Challenge.
Ruby with her team Amy, Hebe (whom she met sailing against on the Women’s World Match Racing Tour) and Tiegan (a successful rower from the UK) will be taking part in the Worlds Toughest Row in December 2026. Racing 3000 miles from La Gomera, Spain to Antigua on a specialised ocean crossing row boat. During the crossing the team will face 20ft waves, temperatures as low as 10 degrees and as high as 30, a variety of sea life including whales and marlin, and the team will row in excess of 1.5 million oar strokes. Currently more people have climbed Mount Everest than rowed across the Atlantic Ocean. This will be an epic adventure for sure.
The Goal.
The team is taking on this challenge to raise awareness for women in sport, challenge the norm and inspire women to dream fearlessly. Sport builds communities for women to be empowered and creates opportunities and space for confidence and self belief to grow.
Ruby said “sailing has shaped me to be a more empowered, resilient and confident person. I would like other women to know the power sport can have, and that it really is for anyone. Sport is not just a game, it can change lives”.
To find out more about the team go to: www.yourowgirl.com
To donate check out the donation page on the website
Follow the team on Instagram @yourowgirl
