Vivaldi Atlantic4

Record-breaking rowers back on dry land

July 12 2005

Four British oarsmen today rowed back into the UK after spending six weeks at sea on a record-breaking Atlantic crossing.

The crew of the 29ft ocean rowing boat Naturally Best knocked more than a fortnight off the previous 55-day transatlantic record.

Scores of well-wishers lining the dockside in Falmouth, Cornwall, cheered and sounded horns as they triumphantly returned to shore today.

Champagne flowed and the rowers, all sporting thick beards, were reunited with their wives, children and parents on a crowded pontoon.

The crew members are Steve Dawson, 44, from Boston, Lincolnshire, brothers-in-law Nigel Morris, 41, and George Rock, 42, both from Ingleby Barwick, Teesside, and Rob Munslow, 27, from Monmouth, South Wales.

Moments after stepping ashore in blazing sunshine, Mr Rock spoke of his relief at having survived violent storms and waves the size of a building.

He said: "The last three days have been sunny like this, but it was never like this for the 39 days we were at sea."

Asked if he ever thought he would not make it back home, he said: "When we faced 60ft waves I was not sure at all.

"One of the oars split and the boat literally went sideways on, and we thought it was going to capsize. I thought `I'm going to drown'.

"I'm just so glad to be alive. If I had known it was going to be like that I would not have done it.

"It's been a great, epic journey but the best part of it is coming home - I'm retiring from rowing."

Mr Munslow, who was today reunited with his mother, Dorothy Munslow, said it had been a childhood dream to row across the Atlantic.

He said the crew members had laughed when giant waves broke two of the seven oars, adding jokingly: "We were down to one spare oar - it looked like there would only be one person rowing."

He went on: "This has been a fantastic achievement. There have been some massive highs and massive lows, but the end result is we're all friends still."

Strong tides scuppered the rowers' hopes of also becoming the first people in history to row all the way from North America to mainland Britain.

After crossing the finish line off the Isles of Scilly on Sunday morning, they found themselves being sucked south towards France.

They attempted to row north, but after they managed to progress only one mile in eight hours, it was agreed they should be towed back to Scilly.

Mr Morris said he was "a little bit disappointed" they did not row all the way to the mainland, but added: "How can you be disappointed when you've got a world record?"

He went on: "To come across at such a speed is really amazing. We didn't really have that many favourable conditions - we could have done this route faster.

"But you can only go across the Atlantic if the Atlantic is going to let you."

His wife, Elaine, whose sister Julie is married to Mr Rock, said she had been on an "emotional rollercoaster" over the past six weeks.

She and the other families were able to read daily email updates from the rowers and could telephone them once a week for about six minutes.

Mrs Morris said: "It was worrying when they were hit by huge waves. First they told us on the website the waves were as big as houses, then the next day they said they were as big as tower blocks."

The team, known as the Vivaldi Atlantic 4, set off on May 31 and completed their voyage in a new fastest time of 39 days, 22 hours, 10 minutes and 30 seconds.

The previous record for a crossing from St John's, Newfoundland, Canada, to the Bishop's Rock lighthouse, was set by Briton Tom McLean in 1987.

The crew were all members of the 2002 Skandia Atlantic crossing attempt which ended after 21 days when the rudder was ripped off in a storm.

Identical boats, designed and built by Devon-based firm Woodvale Events, will be used in next year's Ocean Fours Rowing Race from New York to Falmouth.