Three Scottish brothers have made history by completing the fastest unsupported non-stop row across the Pacific Ocean, surviving 139 days at sea in an extraordinary feat of endurance and solidarity.

Ewan, Jamie and Lachlan Maclean rowed more than 9,000 miles from Lima, Peru, to Cairns, Australia, becoming the first team on record to successfully complete the route from South America.

The Edinburgh-born trio faced relentless challenges, including seasickness, dwindling food supplies and powerful tropical storms.

During one terrifying night, Lachlan was swept overboard by a towering wave, only to be rescued by his brother Ewan in a dramatic mid-ocean recovery.

“A side-on wave came in out of nowhere.

I had a couple of seconds to react and it just hit me,” Lachlan later recalled.

“I basically did a backwards somersault into the water.”

They survived on freshly caught fish and freeze-dried meals, spending four and a half months aboard their self-built carbon fibre boat, Rose Emily.

Inspired by Formula One engineering and designed with the help of ocean rowing expert Mark Slats, the vessel was named in honour of their sister, who was lost during pregnancy.

The brothers stepped onto land shortly before midday on Saturday, greeted by family, friends and their mother Sheila.

They marked their arrival by playing the bagpipes and waving Scottish, Australian and UK flags.

The Macleans surpassed the previous record set by Russian adventurer Fedor Konyukhov, who rowed solo from Chile to Australia in 160 days in 2014.

On shore, Ewan described the moment as “pretty overwhelming,” joking about his first request: “Do you have pizza and beer?

I repeat, do you have pizza and beer?”

The brothers had initially aimed to reach Sydney by early August but rerouted to Cairns due to severe weather.

“The last couple of weeks have been really hard,” Jamie said.

“Our expectations being crushed when we thought we were going to arrive and then getting hit by storm after storm.” Despite setbacks, their close bond proved crucial.

“We are able to speak very directly to one another.

Good communication has been key to this journey,” Jamie explained.

Their record-breaking row was driven not only by ambition but also by philanthropy.

Through their non-profit, The Maclean Foundation, the brothers seek to raise £1 million to fund clean water projects in Madagascar, where only 14 percent of the population currently has access to safe drinking water.

So far, they have raised more than £850,000, with the goal of building boreholes to provide clean water to over 40,000 people in the Ambohimanarina municipality.

This was not the Macleans’ first venture into ocean rowing.

In 2020, they crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 35 days, setting three world records, including becoming the first trio of brothers to row any ocean together.

Reflecting on their latest challenge, Ewan said: “We want to have a positive impact on other people, that is ultimately what this journey is about.”

The brothers’ achievement stands as both a milestone in ocean exploration and a mission of global humanitarian value, blending resilience with a drive to improve lives far beyond their own remarkable voyage.