Ocean rowers on move again
Amongst the entrants tackling the 2,550-nautical mile race from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua are Dave Brooks from Trusham in the Teign Valley who is rowing solo aboard the 24-foot ocean rowing boat 'Team Panasonic'; Jo Langmead of Dartmouth who is aboard the all female four 'Mission Atlantic'; and Stu Burbridge, 34, a North Devon doctor who worked for five years in Torquay.
A large low-pressure system, which sat over the whole fleet for a week, meant all the boats were on a para-anchor for a week. Wind and wave conditions meant there was no prospect of rowers making any headway.
Although he fleet is moving again, the unscheduled break has allowed rowers time to rest and recuperate, or enjoy a belated Christmas dinner.
Expecting to leave La Gomera on December 6 – departure time was delayed - most crews had packed goodies for Christmas Day. When they left on January 4, many had not unpacked their Christmas items.
Brooks took advantage of the lull to unpack the Christmas stash.
"I gave myself an extra half hour break at 5pm to celebrate Christmas and open a load of my presents," said Brooks, who plays rugby for Kingsteignton team New Cross.
"I searched my iPod for the only Christmas song I had, and so to the tune of Frank Sinatra's Let it Snow, very apt as the sun was beating down like I'd never known before, I had my Christmas dinner, cheeseburger in a can, opened my presents, an electronic sudoku game, a grow-your-own Christmas tree and the best one of them all, a harmonica!
"Now I can really get some atmosphere on the boat and bring a bit of 'jail cell irony' to the situation!
"This was followed by a tot of whisky and then a can of coke, followed by a glass of whisky and coke funnily enough!"
Langmead, who strained a knee during the second week, has resumed rowing but without using the seat slide, keeping the legs straight.
The knee is improving but is still strapped and she is taking pain killers. She is doing her shift of rowing, mostly fixed seat, but occasionally using legs lightly.
Being the farthest crew south the girls on 'Mission Atlantic' were not bounced around as much the other crews and so were not confined to cabins.
They rested, checked their rations, and repacked the boat. During the past few days they have improved their position moving up from 20th to 17th.
Brooks has slipped one place to 20th. Burbridge in Ocean Summit continues in a healthy 12th place. All three crews should move through the halfway mark this week.
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