After over a month on the water, rowing teams finish a voyage from Monterey to Hawaii.

Flares illuminated the night sky around 4:30am on Friday morning, July 19, as a team of four women called The Hericanes rowed across the finish line in Kaua'i. After 40 days, 22 hours, and 14 minutes, the team completed the 2,800-mile row across the Pacific Ocean, after starting on June 8 in Monterey. 

"We are really proud of what we did, and to represent Planned Parenthood," says team member Jennifer Hofer, referring to the team's fundraising goal. "We really took the time to pull away from ourselves and focus on our goal of raising awareness and money for Planned Parenthood."

Hofer and her teammates spent extensive time training for the race, known as The World's Toughest Row, in Monterey, where they worked, lived and trained for months, preparing their minds, bodies and boat before setting off. (The Weekly chronicled their preparations in a story that published just as they prepared to shove off.)

Throughout the grueling journey, the team faced numerous challenges. Their boat capsized but was quickly righted, an oar broke but was swiftly replaced with a spare, and Kelsey Pfendler, the skipper, ingeniously combined two broken autopilot systems into one functioning unit. Despite facing difficult weather and harsh conditions, which made this year's race last longer than previous ones. 

"It was scary at times and beautiful," Pfendler remarks. "We faced huge seas and had to navigate through big waves. We also had flat conditions; it was a range of emotions."

Battling harsh conditions and setbacks, the team leaned on each other. "We implemented PEN, a regular check-in emotionally and physically, asking: 'What do you need?' This gave everyone the opportunity to support each other. We didn't do this every day, but often, and it helped us stay grounded and supportive," Hofer explains.

The Hericanes had hoped to be the first all-woman team to finish, but did not reach that goal. They finished sixth overall, third in the four-person rower class, and fifth in the female class. Friends, family, and fans greeted them warmly as they rowed into Hanalei Pier.

"It feels really good. There were a lot of really hard moments," Pfendler explains. "It feels really rewarding to finish."

As the team rowed toward land for the first time in 40 days, emotions ran high with excitement. In the final few days, they faced tough currents but, as a team, fought through them. 

"The final push towards the finish line was filled with gratitude, love for our teammates, and excitement to celebrate," Hofer says. "Crossing the finish line with my teammates and seeing family and friends waiting for us was an incredible feeling."

You can view all of the teams' times and places in the race here.