Sara G crew needs to push on

ROWING: FIVE DAYS to make history – but it will not be easy. The six-man crew of the ocean rowing boat Sara G completed their 29th day at sea yesterday knowing if they can cover the 481 miles (775km) to Barbados by next Tuesday evening they could enter the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest rowing boat to cross the Atlantic.

The crew, which includes Wicklow man Rob Byrne and Adam Burke from Skerries, Co Dublin, had covered 2,828 miles since they left Tarfaya in Morocco yesterday bound for Barbados.

However, their day’s mileage of just 77 (125 km) was considerably down on their average, and they will need to up this to be guaranteed success.

Last month on the Morocco to Barbados odyssey they became the first ocean rowing boat to average more than 100 miles a day for 12 successive days, but the conditions have been trickier in the second half of this marathon trip.

Three other boats are out at sea chasing the record. Hallin Marine, with five men and one woman on board, left Tenerife one day after Sara G; while Britannia III – with 14 crew members – are on day four of their trip. Big Blue, with 15 crew members, are on their 19th day, but have fallen off the pace.

Because some of the boats are travelling different distances than others, the Ocean Rowing Society, which is recognised by the Guinness world records as the official compiler of statistics, has set up a system to judge which is the fastest.

If Hallin Marine arrives before 4.18pm Irish time this Monday and Sara G arrives more than one day three hours 12 minutes later (7.30 pm Irish time), Hallin Marine will become the fastest boat.

If Sara G arrives in less than one day three hours 12 minutes later than Hallin Marine, Sara G will be deemed the fastest boat.

The record was set two years ago by La Mondiale, with Irish crew members Ray Carroll, Reinhardt von Hof and Peter Donaldson.

In the Sara G crew, Byrne is an experienced coastal and ocean rower, but Burke, who was inspired by the performance of Ben Fogle and James Cracknell in the 2005 Atlantic race, only took up rowing for this challenge. He honed his skills in University of Limerick, where he was studying for a higher diploma of education.

Perhaps the most famous Limerick oarsman, Sam Lynch of St Michael’s, will not be able to compete in next weekend’s national assessment in Newry. Lynch is recovering from pneumonia.