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After almost eight weeks of rowing across the Atlantic Ocean, battling against whatever the elements might throw at them, a four-woman crew from Jersey hope to finish their epic 3,000-mile journey within the next 24 hours.
The Intrepid 232 crew, who set off from the Canary Islands in mid-December as one of 38 crews in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, passed the 50 miles to go marker at around 9.30am (Jersey time) today.
At around 11am tomorrow, Julie Brady, Helene Monpetit, Rosemary Satchwell and Alison Smithurst are scheduled to reach the finish line in Antigua, although the southerly winds were making the final approach a tricky one.
They will be greeted by a cluster of supporters who have made the journey from Jersey by more conventional means and are waiting to cheer them ashore shortly after sunrise (local time).
Pictured: a group of family and friends, pictured at the finish line in English Harbour, are waiting to meet the Intrepid 232 crew when they reach Antigua. (Guy Hinks)
After some of the toughest weather conditions of the entire journey brought them to a standstill on Friday, the Intrepid Crew were able to resume rowing on Saturday, achieving a steady pace of 1.9 knots (one knot is equivalent to a nautical mile per hour) towards their destination.
A spokesperson for the team said that the tough conditions had proved to be “one final psychological test”.
They added: “Their communications are positive, they know the mission... they’re making it to Antigua one way or another, and nothing is going to stop them!
“What we’re watching is absolutely wild. If you’re in Antigua, make sure you get down to this team’s landing – it’s going to be emotional!”
It was reported yesterday that the crew were currently further south of Antigua than any crew in the challenge’s entire ten-year history, but that a strong southerly wind would be pushing them north over the concluding stretch of the race.
Intrepid 232 are still on track to break the record of the oldest female crew to row any ocean, with their combined age of 232 being above the previous record of 188 years, which was set in 2016 by a team from Yorkshire.
The team have now surpassed their fundraising target of £10,000. Half the proceeds will go to the Grace Crocker Foundation, which supports families while children receive medical treatment in the UK, with the remainder going to the Blue Marine Foundation, which works to protect the ocean by addressing overfishing.
The team’s fundraising page can be found HERE, while more details on the race, including a tracker for the team’s latest position, can be found online at HERE.
The arrivals of crews at the finish are streamed live on the World’s Toughest Row YouTube page.
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