Louay Habib reporting on Dom Mee and the Quest British Ocean Rowing Team’s Altantic challenge says they have posted an incredible 108 nautical miles (124 miles) in the last 24 hours which is their best run since they started the row 27 days ago. It is also believed to be the most miles rowed in an ocean rowing boat in a 24hr period. This is nothing short of a Herculean effort by the team to make it to Barbados in world record time, strong north easterly winds of between fifteen and twenty knots are ideal and if anything the wind looks to be increasing and remaining in this favourable direction.

One other factor aiding this astounding achievement is that the boat is getting lighter, the team have been eating 6kg a day in supplies but now they are literally dumping fresh water dramatically decreasing the weight of the 26ft rowing boat and increasing the distance that it surfs in the Atlantic swell.

Mee explains: “The Spectra watermaker has done its job and has been as reliable as ever, it has provided us with all of our drinking and cooking water during the trip as I knew it would. We have been carrying 200kg of bottled drinking water as ballast but we don’t need to anymore, we are still running the machine everyday but that water is now used for washing and then thrown over the side, having the first fresh water wash after three weeks is a serious boost to moral!”

A tired but defiant Pete Bird added: “We are now less than 700nm from Barbados and if we can keep this pace up we can break the record, my thoughts are now turning to my girlfriend Nicola and my family who will be in Barbados to see us in, I don’t want to wait any longer than necessary to see them all again. The banter on the boat is all about looking forward to seeing our loved ones in a few days time.”