Diana is Scottish, born in 1944, spent most of her childhood in Glasgow. Stein is Norwegian, born in 1945, and grew up in Sandefjord. Both decided to study medicine in Glasgow where they met through the rowing club. They rowed for the University with some success at British Universities level, won Scottish championships and even appeared in the Scottish teams. Stein rowed for Norway in 1971-72 and still rows in veteran rowing championships with some wins in recent years. Both were interested in travelling, and planned life to include marriage, getting specialist qualifications, having children and do a circumnavigation. By 1977, Stein was a physician, Diana an ophthalmologist. Elisabeth had arrived in Drammen, Norway in 1972, Martin in Reading, England in 1973, and in Bergen, Norway in 1975-76 they fitted out a 39’ ferro-cement hull and named the boat after a butterfly, Red Admiral.

Two books were written (Norwegian)
about their first circumnavigation

From 1977 until 1982 they sailed this gaff-rigged Colin-Archer ketch round the world, working in Barbados, New Zealand and South Africa. Elisabeth and Martin went to school in these countries, and in 1980, another child, Robert was born in Gisborne, New Zealand.

Elisabeth, Robert & Martin on Red Admiral

They have since lived and worked mainly in Kristiansand in south Norway. But their love of travelling took the whole family around the world again in 1986, spending nearly 3 memorable months on Pitcairn Islands, and in 1988-89 they again worked and went to schools in Barbados. Red Admiral crossed the Atlantic again in 1989, 1991 and 1995. She was sold to another Norwegian couple, Astrid and Per Haugen, in Barbados in 1999. After sailing her back to Norway the Haugens had a successful year sailing the Atlantic with their two young boys 2001-02.

In recent years, another challenge has taken up much of Diana and Stein’s time, that of ocean rowing. This began in 1997 with the first ever ocean regatta from Tenerife to Barbados, which Stein took part in, along with Arvid Bentsen from Kristiansand. They had a great trip, though with a time of 67 days were not among the fastest teams. After this there were three attempts by women to row over the Atlantic, all having to be rescued, the third of these was Elisabeth in February 1999. This presented Diana with a challenge, and from September 1999 until just after the Millennium, she rowed alone from Tenerife to Barbados in 113 days. She had hoped to be the first woman to row an ocean alone, but was beaten to it by Tori Murden from USA.

Diana on Star Atlantic

Stein was not to be outdone, and also prepared for a solo row, this time from Portugal to Guyana, the first row from continental Europe to South America. This was successfully done from August to November 2002 in 96 days and makes Stein and Diana the only couple in the world to have both rowed an ocean alone!

Ocean rowing days are now over, and they are going back to sailing. Diana has for a while dreamt of getting a catamaran and in 2001 in North Germany they bought the 42’ Grung Thep, now renamed White Admiral (after another butterfly).

The three children are now independent. Elisabeth is a photographer in London and about to be married to Hugh in September, Martin is in finance, is married to Camilla and they have a daughter Hedda (born 2002) and a son Johan (born 2004), they live in Oslo. Robert, the youngest, has a degree in maths from Bergen University and is currently working in Venezuela developing a traveller webpage, insightsvenezuela.com. Diana and Stein have semi-retired from their practices in Kristiansand, and feel very privileged to be able to set out on another circumnavigation by stages. The plan is to find safe places for White Admiral each summer and fly back to do locum work in Norway for 2-3 months each year. Stein also will do some writing. In the past they have written two books on the circumnavigation as well as a book on Norwegians in Galapagos and children in Pitcairn.

Interests that Diana and Stein share in addition to sailing and rowing are jogging and generally keeping fit; in the past both have done marathons (especially Diana) and triathlons, both love classical music and have played together for many years in Agder Orkesterforening (Diana viola and violin, Stein clarinet), on board is a guitar, a violin, the clarinet and many song books as well as a small library of books, sound books and CDs.

Ambitions for old age: Stay happy, see more of the World together and have more fun with friends and family.

Is this a possible combination?

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