Team Excelsioar close in on Antigua
Windsor: Team expected to complete 3,000-mile rowing challenge across the Atlantic this weekend
Team Excelsioar from
Windsor is due to complete a 3,000-mile rowing challenge across the Atlantic Ocean for charity.
Caroline Hague, Nicki Kelly and Rachel Smillie are competing in the annual ocean rowing race, World’s Toughest Row, to raise money for Thames Hospice and the
DASH charity.
The trio departed from San Sebastian in La Gomera in the Canary Islands on December 12 and are expected to arrive in Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua and Barbuda this weekend.
Caroline’s father, Ray Hague told the Express: “They are very close to the finish now after getting battered by strong headwinds. They are moving at around two knots now and should be at the finish on February 10.
“Whilst their focus is finishing in style, they are pushing for every pound they can get.”
A social media update on Saturday said the team had encountered ‘unfavourable conditions’ with the ‘wind against them’ making progress difficult in recent days.
It read: “After a spell back on the move, the team later decided to re-deploy the anchor as the headwinds are too strong to row against for now. On top of the conditions, the team are also having to row through mats of seaweed, which is adding to the difficulty level.”
An update on Sunday read: “The team is back on the move today, doing two hours on and one hour off the oars, as the sea is flat and they are rowing into a headwind.
The team added: “We have only managed eight miles due to the conditions, but we are eight miles closer to Antigua – far better than drifting in the wrong direction.”
On Monday, the team was back on the move and had 250 nautical miles left to go on the marker.
The three Eton Excelsior Rowing Club members spent nearly three years training and fundraising for their boats and equipment.
Before their departure, Rachel said: “We’re all fairly seasoned rowers but we row on the Thames. This is a different ball game really and it’s been an interesting challenge.
“We have personal connections to the charities and have seen the amazing work they do first-hand.
“We’ve been extremely lucky to be so well supported by all of our friends and family. It’s a real cliche – there are three of us on the boat but really there’s a whole village behind the campaign and not just supporting us in these final few weeks but throughout the twoand-a-half years.
“There’s a lot of personal sacrifice and people have been really supportive.”
The team have rowed in three-hour shifts on and off for up to 16 hours a day for nearly two months.
Their GoFundMe page refers to the trio contending with 30foot waves, storms and the risk of capsize and says: ‘There’s a reason why more people climb Everest every year than have ever rowed the Atlantic’.
The team have so far raised £37,975 for The DASH Charity and Thames Hospice.
Support their fundraiser at: https://tinyurl.com/yc272eea and follow their journey on Instagram @teamexcelsioar.