Daredevil fantasy or tough adventure

Starting in December 2025, four men in their mid-twenties - including two from Zug - will row across the Atlantic Ocean. They revealed their daring plan to their loved ones last Saturday. Among the reactions was that of a Zug member of the Council of States.

The four members of Team "44west" stand at the railing on the balcony of the Seeclub Zug and grin for the camera. Considering that the young men will be rowing across the Atlantic together in less than three years, one fervently hopes that they will not lose this smile. But a conversation with them inspires confidence that this will not happen.

Matthias Fernandez, Lorenzo Henseler, Julian Müller and Luca Fayd'herbe de Maudave have big plans. In December 2025, they will set sail from the Canary Islands and spend a good month rowing almost 5,000 kilometres to the Caribbean. On the way, they can expect to experience the power of nature, little sleep, lots of salt water and sitting for days on end (see infobox).

For outsiders, this may seem like a daring fantasy. But for Matthias Fernandez and Lorenzo Henseler from Zug, Julian Müller from Schwyz and Luca Fayd'herbe de Maudave from Zurich, the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge is much more than that.

"For all of us, I guess it's a step back into the sport of rowing, which each of us has moved away from somewhat," says Matthias Fernandez. The 26-year-old from Baar has been rowing since 2012, and was also in the Swiss national team. He has retired from professional rowing in the meantime, and the Atlantic Challenge is his next big challenge in this field.

Julian Müller from Merlischachen SZ also started rowing in 2012, and was also part of the national team. He still continues the sport today as a hobby, but 26-year-old is also taking a step towards rowing again with the challenge at the end of December 2025.

Luca Fayd'herbe de Maudave from Herrliberg ZH has been rowing since 2013. He came into contact with Müller through the University of St. Gallen and willingly joined the group. At 22, he is the youngest in the foursome.

Lorenzo Henseler from Steinhausen had been trying to persuade Matthias Fernandez to take part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge for quite some time. And his perseverance is now bearing fruit. The 26-year-old has been rowing since 2011 and is the fourth man in the boat.

Finally, on Saturday, the time had come to tell everyone of their plans - the "point of no return" was officially reached. With a kick-off event to which around 60 people were invited, the quartet informed their loved ones about the project. The reactions of parents, friends, aunts and colleagues were characterised by joy and concern, admiration and, in some cases, perplexity.

Rowing from the Canaries to the Caribbean in just under three years (from left): Julian Müller, Matthias Fernandez, Luca Fayd'herbe de Maudave and Lorenzo Henseler                          Photo: Maria Schmid
The "44west" team wants to cover this distance by rowing boat  Picture: PD
Matthias Michel, member of Zug's Council of States.        Photo: Lukas Schnurrenberger
Looking forward to the preparations and the rowing challenge itself (from left): Luca Fayd'herbe de Maudave, Matthias Fernandez, Lorenzo Henseler and Julian Müller    Photo: Maria Schmid

One of the invited guests is no stranger to Zug. Matthias Michel, a member of the Council of States (Ständerat), is the father of Matthias Fernandez's girlfriend, and he was enthusiastic on Saturday: "I’m totally moved," he said during the event. He has great respect for the boys and is looking forward to accompanying them for the next three years. "This is a life project," Michel said.

Julian Müller's mother is also happy about the challenge her son is taking on. He loves the water, borderline experiences and rowing, so the Challenge will suit him well. "But when I found out about it, I already thought: 'Ui, no!' All the big animals, like whales or swordfish. And all the waves, it makes you feel sick."

When she first heard about the project in July, Lorenzo Henseler's aunt was "shocked". But then she became more intensively involved with the project and can now say: "I think it's a super thing and hope that the boys will return with a wealth of experience."

Luca Fayd'herbe de Maudave's girlfriend only met him when it was already clear that he would take part in the Challenge. "I thought it was really crazy then," she said at Saturday's event. "And now that I know what it's going to look like, it's even crazier."

“You can't buy these experiences”, she added.

That leaves one question: why on earth do people decide to row across the Atlantic Ocean?

"I guess you could say we all have something to prove," says Matthias Fernandez. You want to dare the unknown and once again feel the great emotions that you still remember from top-class sport. "We are doing this in order to live."

Julian Müller adds, "We will learn a lot in the coming years." The team will have to complete first aid and sea survival courses, train to navigate on the open sea and mend the boat. "These are exciting aspects, even as a hobby."

According to Fayd'herbe de Maudave, it’s fun to see one's own work bear fruit. "Just the kick-off event on Saturday was great fun and our mood the next day was so good," he says. You blossom and the Challenge is a "booster" for your self-confidence, he adds.

"It will be an adventure we will never forget," Lorenzo Henseler is sure. By that he means not only the race itself, but the whole process leading up to it. "You can't buy these experiences," says the man from Steinhausen.

For the four men it’s clear: they don't just want to take part in the Challenge, they want to win it. A little less than three years remain until the starting signal for "44west". What sounds like a lot is in reality little time for the procurement of a boat costing around £ 110,000 (approx. CHF 123,000), the search for sponsors and the physical preparation according to training and eating plans. Let's hope that the four of them won't stop laughing until December 2025.

Note
The name "44west" is derived from the 44 degrees of longitude to the west that the team will cross in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge. For more information, visit www.44west.ch or email mail@44west.ch.

Watch the video of 44west on https://www.instagram.com/p/CpXuePrr_0t/

The toughest rowing race in the world
In the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, teams of one to five row across the Atlantic Ocean. For about a month, the rowers burn about 50,000 calories a week, drink about ten litres of water a day and lose an average of twelve kilograms during the month. They row in two-hour shifts: two hours rowing, two hours resting. The boat is thereby always in motion.