A British and Irish crew led by a Scottish adventurer rowed into the record books last night when they smashed a world best time for crossing the Atlantic.
Fourteen rowers on board La Mondiale beat a 16-year-old record for the fastest east-to-west crossing of the ocean by almost two days when they landed at Port St Charles in Barbados just after 4.40pm local time (8.40pm GMT).
The official time for their record was confirmed as 33 days, seven hours and 30 minutes. The crew, led by Galashiels-born Leven Brown, 35, left Puerto Mogan in Gran Canaria on December 15 and needed to reach the Caribbean island before 5.35pm local time tomorrow to break the French-held record.
Don Scott, 40, from Bellshill, South Lanarkshire, who is a sports therapist and has a gym in Hamilton, was the only other Scot in the crew to complete the 2987-mile voyage.
The 53ft-long boat was the same one used by the French crew to set their record in 1992.
The crew also won the Blue Riband Trophy awarded by race organisers Ocean Rowing Society International after beating an American boat, Orca, which left at the same time. It is expected to finish three days behind.
Mr Brown said his crew were exhausted but very happy after breaking a record attempted 60 times since 1992.
Speaking to The Herald a short time before La Mondiale completed its voyage, Mr Brown said: "It is fantastic. We are all very tired but just elated and are looking forward to seeing our friends and family again. It is the realisation of a great dream for us all."
Mr Brown said the voyage had been full of incident: "A couple of big waves came over the boat causing some of our guys to be thrown from their rowing seats. It was fortunate they were tied in."
The crew also suffered a multitude of physical problems, including a couple of head injuries, lots of pulled muscles, blisters and small salt water sores on the buttocks.
Mr Brown hand-picked his British and Irish crew after buying La Mondiale and making it lighter and faster.
Having recently relocated to Norfolk with his wife and 14-month-old daughter, Mr Brown said he may now turn his thoughts to the North Atlantic rowing record. He has expeditions planned for the Indian and Pacific oceans and the South Pole.
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