Oarsmen put their backs into ocean record quest

Published on Tuesday 15 January 2008 09:26

THEY have been rowing 117 miles a day across the Atlantic for the past month.

But now three Edinburgh adventurers are close to shattering a world record that has stood for more than 16 years.

Rob Loder-Symonds, Reinhardt Von Hof and skipper Leven Brown, right, are just a few hundred miles from finishing the gruelling 3000-mile journey from Gran Canaria to Barbados.

The trio, part of the 14-strong crew on board the La Mondiale, have been rowing for 30 days straight using the same boat as the French crew that set the record of 35 days in 1992.

The crew now has just 300 miles to go and is likely to face calm seas and sunny weather until at least Thursday, when they expect to reach Port St Charles, Barbados.

Bad weather cost them nearly two days at the start of the challenge but supporters at the Ocean Rowing Society said reports indicated clear weather for the next few days.

The crossing was the idea of Mr Brown – who rowed across the Atlantic single-handedly two years ago and claims to be a descendent of Christopher Columbus.

His crew is using the same boat as the French team after he bought and renovated the vessel. The 35-year-old stockbroker hand-picked a crew from the UK and Ireland, including Mr Loder-Symonds, a company director, and Mr Von Hof, a construction management student from the New Town.

Mr Brown, from Abbeyhill, said that despite the tired limbs, his team was ready to put everything into a final push for the record.

"I want the crew now to step up to ramming speed and hold it till we get to Port St Charles," he said. "I know it's a big ask, but the French crew laid down an incredible record that is proving very tough to beat.

"The team is remaining very focused at this point. Although we are tired and sore, the adrenalin is running in anticipation of clinching the record. The biggest challenge is keeping 14 men motivated and nipping any infighting in the bud. Sleep deprivation and long shifts can lead to short tempers but we have a 'no huffing' policy which is working a treat.

"Being out in this pristine wilderness again is a sheer joy. The work is hard and the hours are long, but what a privilege it is to be here. A lot of the guys feel like that."

La Mondiale has been in a head-to-head race with an American boat Orca since setting off from the Canaries on December 15.

Technical problems have meant updates on the Orca's position have been sporadic, but the last time the distance between the two crews was measured on January 6, La Mondiale had an almost unassailable 300-mile lead.

Kenneth Crutchlow, executive director of the Ocean Rowing Society, said: "I don't want to tempt fate, but everything looks good. If the guys beat the record – and it looks like they will come in almost three days faster – it will be an amazing achievement."

WEB LINKS

&#149 To follow the progress of La Mondiale visit www.oceanrowing.com