Epic voyage helped me row into record books
SARA BREWER, 64, had only been rowing for seven years when she embarked on a 3000-mile Atlantic adventure. Here, she tells us her incredible story
AS THE red rowing boat Making Memories moved towards English Harbour in Antigua, crowds erupted with joy. Flares were set off, crews applauded wildly and super yachts sounded their horns.
They were there to greet Sara Brewer and her rowing partner Ann Prestidge, who had spent the previous 86 days rowing across the Atlantic.
The pair had endured 20ft waves, hailstorms and a diet of dehydrated food, while sleeping in one-hour shifts.
All in all, they covered 3,000 miles and Sara rowed into the record books, becoming the oldest woman to row an ocean – not bad considering she’d only stepped foot on a rowing boat for the first time seven years earlier.
“I wanted to do something that got me outdoors, where there was fresh air and open space,” says Sara. “I live near the Thames in Wapping, East London, so I looked up rowing clubs online and signed up for a beginner’s course. Before long I was hooked.”
Sara’s passion for rowing grew quickly and soon she was spending two evenings a week and four hours each weekend training or rowing on the river. In fact, she was there so often her husband John had to join the rowing club just to see her.
“I loved the feeling of being part of something,” says Sara. “We supported each other and had to train to make sure we were equally fit, so we didn’t let the rest of the crew down. I was definitely the oldest but I held my own.” Then two years ago Sara read The Crossing by Ben Fogle and James Cracknell,
documenting their
Atlantic race. “I’d only got a few pages through when I thought, ‘I could do this’,” says Sara.
“It sounds arrogant, but it was something I felt compelled to do.”
It was Ann, 35, who agreed to accompany Sara on her challenge. The two women pooled their life savings to buy a boat for £65,000 and embarked on the strict training schedule set out by race organisers Atlantic Campaigns, including navigation, first aid at sea and ocean rowing.
Finally, in December last year, they were ready.The women flew to La Gomera in the Canary Islands to start their epic journey.
“John didn’t come out to see us off,” says Sara, who took a three-month sabbatical from her job at HSBC to complete the race. “When you see the boats disappear over the horizon, it’s gut-wrenching for those left behind.”
Sara and Ann had predicted it would take them 60 to 70 days to reach Antigua, but they faced a few problems during the race.
“Our steering lines broke twice, so we had no rudder to steer the boat with. I had to jump into the water and reconnect them.And then we broke three oars.The boat rolled on top of them and they snapped.We lost two early on and then one in February.We only had one spare set, so it meant we couldn’t row together at all after that.”
BUT DESPITE the various dramas, the women settled into a routine, rowing in shifts so they had time to rest.
“It was difficult to sleep during the day because it was so hot and you couldn’t have the cabin doors open,” says Sara.
“Sometimes we put out the sea anchor, which is like a huge parachute that prevents the boat drifting too far. But it was challenging for both of us to sleep in the cabin as it was so small.”
Sara also had to make sure she ate enough, and had a staple diet of high-calorie freeze-dried food.
“We had a desalinator on board, so we used that to take the salt out of the sea water, and I ate freezedried fish pie, couscous and macaroni and cheese.
We also had snacks such as energy bars, dried fruit and M&Ms, but I clearly didn’t eat enough as I lost 2.5st over the challenge.”
And, of course, there was the matter of being stuck on a small boat with just one other person, but Sara says that despite the odd disagreement, she and Ann never fell out.
“It was like being there with a sister.You might have a spat, but it was over in a second.There was no animosity.”
However, it’s not the hardships and discomforts that will stay with Sara, but the spectacular sights.
“The sunrises and sunsets were incredible.We had a 360-degree view of the ocean and sky.
“But what really blew me away was the tameness and curiosity of the wildlife.
“We saw sea turtles and one of them came right up to the boat. It sat for ages, just looking at us.
“We also saw a whale and a shark, and there were lots of dolphins who leapt out of the water together as if they’d been practising for a circus. They followed the boat and loved it when we were going fast.There was even a tuna that followed us for a while, which was quite extraordinary.”
The women often went for days without seeing another vessel, but they had a satellite phone to stay in touch with loved ones.
DURING the last days of the race, the boat started drifting wildly off course and the organisers prepared to launch a support boat to rescue them.
“We were down to three oars and just didn’t have the power to turn the boat,” says Sara. “Then either the wind dropped or what we were doing was working and we began to turn. It gave us the chance to finish the race. It was a struggle, but neither of us gave up.
“When we crossed the finish line we were so happy we couldn’t stop laughing. It was touch and go whether we would make it.”
The women raised more than £66,000 for their two charities, the Alzheimer’s Society and Street League, and Sara became the oldest person to row an ocean.
“I hope that me doing this might inspire women my age to be brave and go for it. It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t have to be big. Just try things.”