18 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY june 6-12, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com and experts,” Jennifer Hofer says. “One of our primary objectives was to delineate the comprehensive plan and identify the remaining tasks that needed attention. We adopted a divideand-conquer approach to manage our responsibilities effectively. During this phase, we were training individually— only recently have we begun training together and meeting in person on a regular basis.” In January of 2024, six months before their departure date, Myers, the Hofers and Pfendler made Monterey home. (Hofer continued to spend half her time in Oregon working as a park ranger and half in Monterey training.) The Weekly spent the past six months documenting their preparations, recounted in the photo essay that accompanies this story. Myers recently quit her job as a paralegal, working remotely from Monterey, to focus full time on preparing for the row ahead. Kristen Hofer landed a job at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and developed a fondness for the octopus. Jennifer Hofer had been working for the Forest Service in Oregon but recently quit to focus on the race. Pfender spent a few months in Monterey training and getting the boat ready before leaving for a month to work as a whitewater rafting guide in the Grand Canyon. They are transitioning away from their regular, working lives on land to their voyage. When they shove off on Saturday, June 8 from Monterey, they are expected to be at sea for about 35 days before arriving in Hawaii. But before then, they have miles to row as they train, getting ready for the journey. On a misty Saturday morning at the Coast Guard Pier in Monterey, as the sun begins to rise over the hills, the team prepares to launch their 2014 Rannoch r45 boat, named Brizo, for the first time since acquiring it from a team in the Clockwise from top left: Jennifer Hofer hands personal flotation devices to Sierra Myers as they prepare for a practice row. The team needs to pack enough highcalorie food—lots of peanut butter and freeze-dried meals—for the estimated 35 days it will take to get to Hawaii. The Brizo boasts an impressive history, having completed two Atlantic crossings. The vessel was shipped from the Netherlands to Monterey in February and has several upgraded modifications, including GPS and radio. Sierra Myers (front) and Kristen Hofer on a practice row. Their training includes a 24-hour row in preparation for the race, during which they’ll trade off two hours at a time to rest, then paddle. The Hericanes check safety harnesses.
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