“My name is Duncan Roy, I’m a proud Yorkshireman and former Royal Engineer in the British Army. Following a career-ending injury I discovered indoor rowing through my rehabilitation. I started competing and fell in love with the sport. This organically led to river rowing which ultimately spiralled into ocean rowing. Today I'm a world leading, Professional Ocean Rowing Coach. Having rowed across the mid-Pacific, the Atlantic Ocean twice and circumnavigated Great Britain, I have created a unique training methodology in which I share my experiences and lessons learned to enable people to train safely, optimise their preparations, build resilience and thrive out on the ocean.”
10,160 nautical miles of…
Experience
182 days of ocean rowing
4 safe and successful ocean rowing expeditions:
3 safe and successful ocean rowing crossings (2 Atlantic and 1 Mid-Pacific)
Circumnavigated Great Britain
Ocean Rowing Expeditions in various sized teams: 5 man, 4 man and a pair
Coached 37 successful crews ranging solos, pairs, trios, fours and fives
Coached 3 Race winners, 9 World Record Crews and 12 Class winners
43 days of hand pumping water and rationing electricity
8 days and nights on parachute anchor
Rough conditions mid Atlantic with 8m waves and force 8 wind through to low pressure systems with no wind and no waves and everything in between.
Coastal rowing around Britain constantly route planning; judging tidal streams, tidal gates, wind, wind angle and anchoring in all manor of different places and conditions including the middle of the Irish Sea.
Adapting rowing technique to widely varying conditions including; big wave surfing, rolling swells, rowing beam on to the waves, rowing against choppy smaller waves, rowing against tide and into headwinds and maximising efficiency during flat pond-like conditions.
Qualified RYA Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Offshore
Qualified British Rowing Indoor Rowing Coach
Achievements
3 Guinness World Records in Ocean Rowing
Coached WTR Pacific 2023 Winners and World Record Holders Kiwi Fondue
Coached TWAC 2022 Winners of Solo, Pair and Trio’s Category:
Solo Winner: The Atlantic Grappler
Pair’s Winner: The Dreamboats
Trio’s Winner: Dark Trio
Coached TWAC 2021 Winners of Female Class, Mixed Team:
Female Race Winners: One Ocean Crew
World Record Fastest Mixed Team Atlantic Nomads
Coached TWAC 2020 Race Winners On Shoulders of Giants
Coached TWAC 2019 Race Winners Fortitude Four
100% safety record
Completed 27 Marathons on a Concept2 Indoor Rowing Machine.
Values
Preparation
Safety
Adapting to change
Resilience
“Hands down the best decision we made as a team was to hire Duncan. This man. He is one of the most powerful inspirations I’ve ever come across, a hard arse when he needs to be and given the nature of the sport he’s coaching, would you want anything less? He is SO much more than a “coach”, his love for the sport and passion for teaching is incredible, he genuinely becomes part of the team. We listened. We learnt. We implemented. He took us on as a bunch of wild novices with ZERO rowing experience and turned us into WORLD RECORD HOLDING WINNERS… I think the result speaks for itself. Do yourself a favour and call Dunc. I love you brother”
“From our very first session, when Duncan facilitated me setting a clear mission statement, achievable milestones and realistic objectives, I felt reassured of his guidance and omnipresent support. There were no questions too big or too small, no hour wasted training at sea or on land, no drop in Duncan’s infectious enthusiasm for his craft. Until landing in Antigua Duncan was the reassurance I needed that my preparation was more than adequate and my skill-set broad enough to ensure a safe, competitive and (mostly) enjoyable crossing. Duncan was the difference.”
Completed ocean rows
Read more about my completed ocean crossings
Head Shot Photo Credit: Ben Duffy