Making waves: Mark Slats on revolutionising ocean rowing

Ocean rowing legend Mark Slats talks to The Ocean Oaracle about his record-breaking rows across the Atlantic – and the secrets to his success

Many years ago, I remember listening to some American journalists discussing footballer Roy Keane. “If he played American Football he would be world famous, an icon,” they said: for his commitment to the game, his single-mindedness, his supreme athleticism, his intensity and his focus.

I feel much the same way about Dutch ocean rowing legend Mark Slats. By rights, Mark’s name should be known all around the globe, up there with people like Cristiano Ronaldo, Roger Federer, Michael Jordan and Serena Williams. His achievements – not only in ocean rowing, but in sailing too – speak for themselves.

In 2017, Mark destroyed the previous record for crossing the Atlantic solo, coming within hours of winning, in a time of 30 days, seven hours and 49 minutes. In 2020, when even getting to the start line was a feat in itself, Mark and his Row4Cancer teammate Kai Wiedmer won the race in 32 days, 22 hours and 13 minutes, a record time for a pair.

In the intervening three years, Mark, a builder by trade, had managed to design and build his own ocean rowing boat. Now, he’s put together a crack four with the aim of beating that record set by the Four Oarsmen in 2017, of 29 days, 13 hours and 34 minutes.

Mark very kindly took time out of his schedule to talk to The Ocean Oaracle. Here, in part one of my interview with him, he talks about why he decided to row an ocean, how he broke the record by 19 days, and why he decided to build his own boats.

Before the start of the 2017 race ©World’s Toughest Row/Ben Duffy

Becoming Australia’s toughest man

As with all ocean rowers, there is a defining moment when the sport comes onto our radar for the first time. Mark’s journey began when he was backpacking in Australia, aged 21. He says, “Some guys had a camp next to us along the road somewhere, and this guy says to me, ‘My brother’s sailing around the world.’ I said, ‘Can I sail back to Holland from here?’ He says, ‘Yeah, sure, you can sail back to Holland, no problem.’ So this got me thinking. I joined the Australian Tough Men competition – a K1 fight, a mix of Kickboxing, Muay Thai and boxing. And I became Australian champion, I won £20,000 and bought a yacht.

“It took me 18 months to get home, and on that trip I met two guys in a rowing boat. And I talked to them for half an hour. And it always stuck in my mind. I said, ‘One day I'm going to do this as well.’ But I started my own building business, the years go past, you get into the system. You have to live and get food and have a mortgage and buy a house. And time flies. Then at one stage, I was thinking on a Friday evening, ‘What did I do on Monday?’ And I couldn't even remember what I did on Monday. So [then I thought] it's time to do something again, something that I will remember, and something that will stay with me. So in 2016 I decided to do the ocean row.”

Battling the big seas in 2017

Untypically – but not unsurprisingly - Mark took extreme measures to ensure he fulfilled his dream. He sold his house, went to Rannoch and bought a boat. “I picked it up three months later and rowed it back from Burnham on Crouch to my home port, with three battery packs and a hand held VHF. Straight away, my first row in the boat was 60 hours,” he says.