Woodvale Challenge Boat Building

There are various types of new build ocean rowing boats available from Woodvale Challenge.

Woodvale Pairs Class Boat

This is the most successful ocean rowing boat design in history. Originally designed by Phil Morrison and Spud Rowsell, the boat was initially created for the first Atlantic Rowing Race in 1997. Since that time there have been more ocean crossings completed in this type of rowing boat than all the other ocean crossings in history.

The Woodvale pairs class boat has completed ocean rowing crossings of the Mid- Atlantic, South Pacific and Indian Oceans.

These boats can be bought in kit form and built by the individual rowing team or constructed by our skilled boat building team.

The Adkin Pairs Boat

The Adkin boat is the first modern generation composite ocean rowing boat. The boat has been used in a number of combinations from solo's to fours. The design was the previous World Record holder of the Mid-Atlantic Solo speed record, and was the first solo physically disabled crew across any ocean. The boat holds the four man speed record across the Mid-Atlantic and the design has also been successfully rowed around Britain - the first boat ever to do so. In 2006, an Adkin pair was rowed solo across the North Atlantic skippered by Rob Munslow.

The basic hull is probably the fastest ocean rowing design in existance. It has been used for many custom built solo boats - that in time will continue to push the boundaries of this unique aspect of the sport.

Woodvale Challenge has chosen this boat design for the extremely challenging course across the North Atlantic as a pairs combination in the 2008 North Atlantic Rowing Race. The tooling for this boat design is available for hire or our in house boat building team can produce solo, pairs and triple versions of this boat design.

The Woodvale Fours Class Boat

The Woodvale Fours class boat was specifically designed to tackle the North Atlantic in the 2006 North Atlantic Rowing Race. The design has been rigorously tank tested and has the most agressive self righting charactoristics of any crewed ocean rowing boat. The prototype of this boat broke the North Atlantic Rowing record from Canada to the Silly Isles in 2005 beating the previous record by 16 days. The boat has gone on to become the first boat to be rowed mainland USA to mainland UK and the first all female 4 team to cross any ocean.

The boat has tackled the most extreme conditions and has never faultered. The boat is the class requirement for the Atlantic Rowing Race 07 & 09, Indian Ocean Rowing Race 09 and the North Atlantic Rowing Race 2008. The boats are only available to be built by the Woodvale boat building team or purchased on the second hand market. The tooling is too large to easily be loaned to other build yards.

Woodvale Solo Class

The Woodvale Solo class rowing boat is an evolution in the concept of ocean rowing boat design. Utalising the ultra-fast Adkin hull profile, the cabin tooling has been developed to give the serious solo rower, the comfort and stowage to complete extended ocean crossings. The cabin volumes make the boat agressively self-righting and the lowered aft cabin floor means that there is ample space not to stoop while taking shelter. The boat is designed to have less windage than the original Woodvale pairs boat and the addition of a centre board means that the boat can be rowed into weather.

The solo boats are built for the serious ocean rower that want to tackle a whole range of situations. The design and material combinations are specifically created for the job in hand. We have produced various combinations from glass / polyester to full carbon kevlar / epoxy boats. We produce these designs for the solo class of the Atlantic Rowing Race or for independent rowers.

Woodvale Challenge offer a wide range of new build ocean rowing boats. As a company we have built more ocean rowing boats than any other in history. We also provide a fitting out service to all ocean rowers, and repair service to boats that are not quite up to standard.

Our services are offered to both race entrants and independent teams alike. All of our work is guaranteed and undertaken by experienced ocean rowing build team members.

Photo Credits - Dan Byles & George Simpson