Catz boatman sets new record for crossing Atlantic
Jim Ronaldson, the Catz boatman, has set the new record for crossing the Atlantic in a rowboat during the 2023/24 ‘World’s Toughest Row’ challenge with teammate Ian Davies, reaching Antigua from the Canary Islands in 67 days–making them the oldest pair to do so, with a combined age of 132 years and 48 days.
Jim joined the College as its boatman in the 1980s, working closely with generations of students. He chose to fundraise for Papyrus, a mental health charity focusing on suicide prevention for young people.
On 13 December, 2023, Jim and Ian set off on their journey, facing waves of six meters, wildly varying temperatures while rowing in excess of 1.5 million strokes–switching from two hours on and two hours off for two months.
Commenting on his experience, Jim said, “It was an amazing experience and I don’t think it’s sunk in yet and it will not sink in for a while. The world’s toughest row gives ordinary people the chance to live their dream and it’s amazing.”
We congratulate Jim on this momentous achievement.
Image above: Teammates Ian Davies and Jim Ronaldson at the finish line in Antigua (Photo: World’s Toughest Row)