Rowing record boosts charity
Three brothers have set a world record after rowing the Atlantic Ocean in just 35 days raising funds for a Gartocharn-based charity.
The MacLean siblings, known as BROAR, set off from La Gomera in the Canary Islands on December 12 and completed a 3000-mile row to Antigua in the Caribbean.
The brothers — Lachlan, 21, Jamie, 26, and Ewan, 27 — beat the previous record of a trio rowing the Atlantic Ocean, which was 41 days, and finished it three days ahead of schedule.
They were expecting to raise £250,000 for Feedback Madagascar, a charity set up by Jamie Spencer who lives in Gartocharn, and Children First.
The organisation works with some of the poorest communities in Madagascar to improve their lives and their environment, including providing access to clean water.
Ewan said: “It was incredibly difficult but the way our bodies and minds coped with every single challenge will stay with me for a long time. We don’t do things by halves, so we were always going to go for a world record.
“I’m incredibly proud of that, but mostly I’m proud of the money we’ve raised for charity and the difference we’ll make to two causes.”
During their journey the trio had to overcome seasickness, battery issues, dehydration and exhaustion. They had to row the last 20 days without any music as their iPhone cables got damaged by seawater.
The brothers’ dad Charlie told how he and their mum Sheila missed them cross the finish line – because they were too fast.
He said: “Sheila arrived by the skin of her teeth to greet them as they came ashore. I was flying out separately and missed the arrival by 24 hours.
“But I was able to watch it on YouTube on my phone and it was very moving.”