Photographs have captured the moment four RAF gunners completed a stunning 3,200 mile row across the Atlantic Ocean.
The Atlantic Rocks quartet – made up of Sergeant Phil Angus, Corporal Gary Binns, Corporal Justin Wallace, and Sergeant Dan Martin – rowed from Lanzarote to Antigua in their boat Sentinel in 61 days, 19 hours, and 14 minutes.
As well as the tricky and changeable conditions of the Atlantic, they also faced problem with their vessel when EFOY (their fuel cell) on their boat encountered issues within days of the crossing starting and remote internet service that meant they couldn’t add all the crucial updates on social media. Furthermore, it also limited their access to morale boosting music.
This forced the team steer and manoueuvre by hand with very few power systems available and doing as much as they could to preserve power generated by solar panels fitted to the boat. This conservation allowed them to run the navigation systems at crucial periods during the night.
In a statement, the RAF said the issues with their fuel cell “was exacerbated by the 7 knot headwinds and low pressure, which made the conditions feel like the team were rowing through treacle”.
What makes the crew’s journey even more extraordinary is that despite conditions and physical challenges, they were able to help the University of Michigan with their study of plastic pollution. The team collected water samples which have been sent for analysis.
In spite of the challenges – and a near miss with a tanker – they have managed the extraordinary feat and celebrated completing the challenge with friends.
