Impact

We row for Biodiversity!

In addition to crossing the Atlantic, we want to use this opportunity to fundraise for rrreefs and raise awareness towards the importance of healthy coral reefs.

Rrreefs mission is to revive 1% of coastal coral reefs by 2034 - restoring rich marine biodiversity for healthy oceans and people.

In 2026, we aim to build our own 44west reef in the Philippines. We need your support to make it happen!

While our fundraising efforts have so far focused on completing our Atlantic rowing challenge, we are now also accepting direct donations for the reef project. Your contribution can make a real difference: not only by restoring vital marine biodiversity, but also by supporting a local initiative that empowers Filipino scientists and benefits one of the country’s most underserved regions.

The minimum funding required to build the 44west Reef is CHF 30,000. If this target is not met, all funds will go toward expanding or maintaining existing coral restoration projects by our partner rrreefs.com.

Through the link below, you can adopt a brick that will become part of the 44west Reef - lets build together one brick at a time! 🧱🌊

In addition to raising awareness and hosting this campaign, 44west is committed to donating 100% of our profits to the construction of our reef.

Aktuell
CHF 2'620

Finanzierungsziel
CHF 30'000

Spendenziel
CHF 60'000

Jetzt spenden

44west × rrreefs

Oktober 2023 – Dezember 2025

Phase 1

Sensibilisierung

In der ersten Phase ist 44west bestrebt, laufend über die Ziele und die Arbeit von rrreefs zu informieren und die Allgemeinheit dadurch über die Wichtigkeit der Biodiversität und des Schutzes der Korallenriffe zu sensibilisieren. Für jeden Kauf aus unserem Onlineshop widmen wir 1 Franken an rrreefs und unsere eigenes Korallenriff (Phase 3).

Dezember 2025 - Januar 2026

Phase 2

Atlantik-Überquerung und Crowdfunding

In der zweiten Phase werden wir durch die Aktion „ROWING ACROSS THE ATLANTIC FOR MORE BIODIVERSITY“ direkt ein Crowdfunding für den Aufbau eines eigenen Korallenriffs sammeln und dabei die Allgemeinheit weiter über die Wichtigkeit der Biodiversität und des Schutzes der Korallenriffe sensibilisieren.

Januar 2026 - Ende 2026

Phase 3

44west Korallenriff

In der dritten Phase werden die Gesamterlöse aus Phase 1 und Phase 2 sowie der gesamte Überschuss von 44west vollständig für den Aufbau eines eigenen Korallenriffs eingesetzt. Vielleicht können wir sogar mit ein paar Tauchgängen beim Aufbau helfen – let’s see!

Coral reef facts

Coral reefs sustain a quarter of all animal species in the ocean. This hotspot of global biodiversity is tightly entangled with other ecosystems, influencing the wellbeing of the entire ocean and humans alike.

More than half a billion people directly depend on coral reefs as a source of their culture and beliefs and a source of food and income through tourism, recreation, and fisheries.

Many important medicines are derived from substances originally discovered in coral reefs. And new active ingredients for medicines are still being discovered in coral reefs, making them an important and indispensable resource in pharmaceutical research.

Coral reefs function as valuable protective barriers for coastal communities. By dissipating up to 97% of wave energy before it reaches the shoreline, they protect human-made and natural values along the coast.

Learn more about their work on their website.

Visit website

Research

We are pleased to announce that our boat is now officially a research vessel. We believe that valuable synergies should be used and therefore decided to make our expedition available for researchers.

Psychology – Applied Team Research

Prof. Dr. Jan Schmutz conducts research with the goal of advancing the scientific understanding of team research. Specifically, he studies how teams can successfully deal with difficult situations. Due to the extreme conditions and complete isolation, Prof. Schmutz is interested in our team dynamics and will study us during our Atlantic campaign. With the knowledge gained, he wants to help leaders, teams and organizations to develop in practice.

Website "Applied team research"

Material Selection

During the project-based learning course on "Materials Selection" at the D-MATL 40 students are immersing themselves in the world of materials science and adventure. Together, they're pushing boundaries, solving challenges, and embracing the spirit of collaborative group work. During this phase, students will work on real-world problems and select high-performance materials to fabricate parts for our rowing boat. The groups will explore state-of-the-art and cutting-edge materials to design biodegradable oars, smart power handles, advanced seat pads and passive cooling for solar cells. We are very excited and looking forward to learning about the solutions found during the progress of the projects.

Website "D-MATL"

Exercise Physiolgy

We have teamed up with the Exercise Physiology Lab at ETH Zurich, a laboratory for human and sports physiology, as one of our research partners. Under the direction of Prof Dr Christina Spengler, they ensure that our training achieves the desired effectiveness. Together, we track our performance development through various tests in the laboratory and monitor our vital signs during the race. What is special about this partnership? It's a win-win situation. Not only does it optimise our preparation, but our data also provides unique insights into the effect of sleep deprivation, stress and other physical challenges.

Website "Exercise Physiology Lab"