An international team of 5 women recently set a record for rowing across the Atlantic Ocean and they attribute their success in part to rowing nude.
It seems that any clothing worn while rowing tends to get wet and stay wet, which contributes to friction, sores, and boils.
They did not say in the article if it was more pleasant experience by just being nude, but we’d like to think that was the case. It did say they got to know each other better, which we take for granted to be a normal part of the nudist experience.
According to the article,
“We spent a lot of time rowing naked because when the sea water gets inside your clothes it increases friction against your skin which can cause sores,” says Debbie Beadle, Skipper of the Row for Freedom team.
“If you row naked it means you don’t rub as much and you also get dry much quicker instead of constantly having wet clothes,” she adds.
The unconventional ploy worked to perfection as Beadle and her fellow crew members — Julia Immonen, Katie Pattison-Hart, Kate Richardson and Helen Leigh — smashed the existing Atlantic crossing record for a boat of five rowers, taking just 45 days.
While it’s available, you can see the full CNN article at http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/16/sport/naked-rowers/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
You can get much more detail at their web site RowForFreedom.com and view the rower profiles at http://www.rowforfreedom.com/the-team/