Rowing across the Atlantic- as the first German woman

Across the Atlantic by rowing boat: This is Jakait Janice's ambitious goal. She would be the first German to implement this project. But Janice, who is equipped with Aquapac waterproof cases for this adventure would not Janice, if she would not pursue other goals. "Row for silence" is her motto and to inspire people to environmental and marine conservation. "Rowing for our interests, for our children, for a world they deserve." Every day, whales and dolphins would be killed by the noise caused by the industrial use of the ocean. Janice Jakait: "We are about to wipe out these wonderful creatures." With her project she wants to help save these endangered mammals.

The preparations

Currently, Janice is in the midst of the preparations for the trip that leads her over 3500 nautical miles and less than 100 days from Portugal to Antigua in the Caribbean. Start will be on the 21st of november 2011. But diligent preparation takes time. The boat must be prepared, machinery installed and equipment reviewed. Added to this contacts to the sponsors and of course training, training, training. Because Janice wants to row exhausting six times two hours per day. And where others want to keep a strict diet, Janice trains the opposite: to get her body used to accept up to 8000 kcal per day.

The Sponsor

Aquapac will play its part in contributing to Janice's safe and sound return. We equip the extreme-rower with our waterproof bags for all her electronic equipment. Whether it's the GPS, tablet PC, satellite telephone, radio or even the MP-3 player: For all devices, we have appropriate, safe and waterproof bags. And she will stow her personal valuables such as passports, papers and licenses necessary for the Atlantic crossing securely in Aquapacs.

Good luck!!

Update I:

Only a few days, then on 23 November 2011 Janice Jakait will put to sea at the Portuguese Atlantic coast. In four months she will have achieved her goal, the Antillean island Antigua in the middle of the Caribbean. The rower would be the first German woman who had crossed the Atlantic in a rowing boat. Correspondingly large was the media interest in recent weeks. Virtually all national newspapers, magazines and television stations reported on the upcoming trip. The ZDF, for example, will send a live stream from the boat via its blog.

The preparations to the boat, equipment and materials are now complete. Everything is in excellent condition, checked and stowed there, where it belongs. Also, the daily rations of food for four months at sea are packed. As well as the electronic devices that are stored in our waterproof Aquapacs. The boat is now being transported to Portugal in early November, where the final preparations are made before it starts on 21 November ... Janice also has meticulously prepared herself mentally and physically for the rigors.

Update II, on Sea:

Picture of the 4th of december 2011: struggle against 6m waves, 600 of 6500km are rowed.

Since the 23rd of november, 12 a.m. Janice Jakait is on her trip from Portimao, Portugal, across the Atlantic to Antigua, carribean sea: All the best!

Some experiences after nearly 1800km on the 19th of December 2011: "I'm sweating, everything films up. Clothes, books, all wet. My high tech electronic which isn't waterproof isn't working anymore. Everything I haven't put into an Aquapac I declare it to a rosting damp biotope ...".

Update III- half way through:

On 5 January 2012 Janice Jakait managed half of her Atlantic crossing: 3150 km in 42.5 days. And she already experienced a lot: storm, eight-meter waves, calm, heat, near collision, flying fish in the cockpit, shark visits, broken bilge pump, flooded cabin and what's all part of such an adventure. In the middle of the Atlantic she let the cat out of the bag. She will not row to Antigua, but to Port Charles in Barbados - a "few" kilometers further south. With the launch in Portimao, Portugal, a very challenging crossing.

Update IV -almost done:

Only a few kilometers out of 6500 left. German rowing girl Janice Jakait is expected to cross the finish line of her rowing-adventure across the atlantic ocean near Barbados on monday morning, 20th of february 2012. In the evening she wants to ashore at Port Charles, after nearly 90 days on sea...

Update V - she did it!

Janice Jakait at her arrival at Port Charles, Barbados - after 90 days on the atlantic ocean

Janice Jakait did it: As the first German she has crossed the Atlantic in a rowing boat. Today, 21 February 2012 at 1:36 local time she arrived at Port Charles in Barbados. 6309.9 km and 90 days, five hours and 38 minutes on the deep sea lying behind the extreme athlete. Janice: "Now I'm looking forward to a warm shower and a non-wavering bed."
Aquapac had equipped Janice Jakait with waterproof bags for her crossing.

Congratulations! Well done, an admirable performance, both physically and mentally.

Update VI: Now the pacific ocean?

One year later, Janice Jakait already forges out new plans. This time it will be the Pacific, as Janice Jakait revealed us visiting our booth at the boot Dusseldorf 2013. She does not know yet when it should start exactly. It may take a bit to mentally accomodate to such a project. But one thing is certain: She will again have Aquapacs on board. Janice: "Those were the only bags in which everything actually stayed dry."

Update VII: Now a book

Two years after her Atlantic crossing Janice Jakait has released her adventure in a book: "Tosende Stille - Eine Frau rudert über den Atlantik (Roaring Silence - A woman rows across the Atlantic)". An exceptional sports performance. A journey to herself, her publisher writes. As the first German she crosses the Atlantic: alone and only with muscle power. "Row for silence," she calls her initiative with which she wants to draw attention to the underwater noise that has fatal consequences for marine mammals and fish. But she also wants to defeat her inner turmoil, meet herself in silence. For 90 days, 6500 kilometers and a million strokes she holds her ground against the powers, against hunger and fatigue - and finally arrives, not only in Barbados, but also in herself.

In Portimão, Portugal she set out with her specially equipped rowboat Bifröst heading for Barbados. The extreme athlete has planned a hard program: Ten to twelve hours a day she rowed in two-hour shifts. Seasickness and insomnia, heat and sharks wore her out. But she is more than compensated: for days she was accompanied by whales and dolphins, she experienced fascinating natural spectacles - but above all she found an unprecedented inner peace in the silence of the ocean. Janice Jakait: "The ocean has hooked me, I'm on its dripping needle. Salt water flows through my veins - right into the beating heart."

That's why she has other plans: first across the Pacific Ocean with a sailboat, then across the Indian Ocean.

Aquapac will take part again.