Kait Kaarel Puss from Fibenol was part of the Estonian team Rowtalia, which successfully completed its Atlantic crossing as part of the World’s Toughest Row Atlantic Campaign race in 39 days. The four-person crew covered a total of 5,026 kilometres. They rowed on a continuous shift system: two hours at the oars followed by a two-hour break, with two people at the rowing stations around the clock.
The team’s name derives from the Rotalia student fraternity, to which all team members belong. The rapier seen in the finish line photos, which holds ceremonial significance, also stems from this tradition.
Goals and charitable projects
The team linked their participation to two charitable causes:
– Supporting the treatment of children with rare diseases through the Lastefond Foundation
– Promoting the mental health of young people through the Peaasi organisation
During the crossing, € 30,000 was raised in direct donations. In addition, the daily logbook entries, which were published in an Estonian newspaper, reached a wide readership and raised awareness of both causes.
Course of the crossing
During the Atlantic crossing, the team faced various challenges, including technical issues with the electrical system, high temperatures around the equator, and bouts of seasickness. Despite having no prior experience of ocean rowing, sailing, or navigation in open waters, the crew managed to complete the crossing on schedule.
As COUNTLESS consortium, we are proud of our colleague Kait for this achievement – and happy to have him back!
“I can say now that the preparation was certainly the most difficult part of the entire experience, due to having so many other commitments at the same time. For me the mental health charity has connected the most, since in the past few years it has been quite difficult to fulfill the many expectations. I am glad that I partook in this challenge as I found a definite love for the open waters and the feeling of being at the whim of nature, while knowing that anything can be safely handled in our boat and that we are capable of reaching the finish line. While it was tiring, uncomfortable and hard, it was fully worth it!”
Kait Kaarel Puss
Pictures: l. to r. Andres Käosaar, Kait Kaarel Puss, Karl Jürgenstein and Arnold Rein Tatunts. Source: https://atlanticcampaigns.smugmug.com/Atlantic/2025/TEAMS2025/Team-Rowtalia
Read more: https://atlandisoudjad.ee/ and https://www.instagram.com/teamrowtalia/
World toughest row: https://www.worldstoughestrow.com/