Rescued Atlantic rowers recover their boat

WORTHING rowers forced to abandon ship while attempting to cross the Atlantic have successfully recovered their boat – but it looks too late for them to restart the challenge.
By The Newsroom
Published 13th Jan 2014, 15:00 BST
The Atlantic Splash team, pictured after their dramatic helicopter rescueThe Atlantic Splash team, pictured after their dramatic helicopter rescue
The Atlantic Splash team, pictured after their dramatic helicopter rescue

Team Atlantic Splash, whose crew are based at Worthing Rowing Club, were dramatically rescued just days after the start of the Talisker Whiskey Challenge last month.

They had to be airlifted to safety in stormy conditions after their boat, Missy, sprang a leak.

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It was hoped the boat could be quickly recovered, repaired and the race restarted but crew member Bastien Leclair, 31, said it was unlikely.

He said: “It’s too late to restart the race, so I guess the next step will be to get her back to the UK and ready to be sold to the next crew willing to take over.”

Two of the crew members, Neal Marsh and Tom Hyland, accompanied a local yachtsman on a previous attempt to recover the boat, which was drifting unmanned.

The first attempt was unsuccessful but on a final, last-ditch attempt, they managed to locate the boat.

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Mr Leclair was unsure about plans for another attempt next year, as the crew had not had a chance to get together and discuss options.

He said: “It’s too early to say really.

“I don’t know how exactly how the boat is and how the rest of the crew feel at the moment.

“We’ll see where we all are in a few months.”