Forces Rowing Team Raise Near £60k For Charities

A five-strong rowing team made up of service personnel and civilians raised almost £60,000 for charity after rowing 3,500 miles across the Atlantic.

'Men of Oar', led by Captain Robin Drysdale, took part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.

Known as one of the most difficult challenges in the world, 27 teams battled the elements from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua in the Caribbean. The team set off on their journey in December.

Capt Robin Drysdale spoke to Forces News about their arrival in Antigua.

Capt Drysdale, from 21 Signal Regiment, said his motivation to take on the challenge came after being diagnosed with bowel cancer.

He recruited Army reservists Captain David Wallace and Captain William Theakston, and Sam Bolt-Lawrence, a civilian who was later joined by Guillaume Vanderwinden after his team pulled out.

Having battled technical issues in the initial phases of the trip, the team ticked off 2,753 miles of open ocean and rowed into Nelson's Bay at 22.30 UK time on Tuesday, with a time of 47 days, 6 hours and 37 minutes.

"It feels amazing now it's over... there were a lot of challenging times, but it was a fantastic experience from start to finish," Capt Drysdale said.

Before leaving, Capt Drysdale gave Forces News a tour around the team's boat.

The military members of the crew used their forces experiences to prepare mentally and physically for the mammoth challenge.

Three of their rowers had completed four tours in Afghanistan between them.

They are hoping to raise a total of £200,000 in total for Combat Stress and Bowel Cancer UK.

Just over a week ago, another forces rowing team, 'Row4Victory', also completed the challenge. They spent 39 days at sea and were also raising funds for military charities.