OB nears end of Atlantic Row

A former BGS student, Alan Lock, who is rowing across the Atlantic Ocean, is now only 500 miles from land, having set out from La Gomera in Tenerife on his gruelling 3,000-mile expedition on January 11 with rowing partner Matt Boreham from Norwich.

The pair are rowing in a 24ft boat named Gemini and had hoped to complete the crossing in two months but were pushed backwards by bad weather at the start of the challenge, with 35-knot winds and waves up to six metres high.

As well as difficult weather conditions, the rowers have also battled the discomfort of salt sores, cuts and bruises and blisters on their hands from the oars, and are also rowing on sheepskin covers to deal with the pain of sore backsides.  However there have also been high points;  spotting sharks and flying fish since they entered tropical waters and recently being joined by a pod of 100 dolphins.

The pair are now looking forward to reaching Antigua, meeting up with friends and family and enjoying a beer and some fresh food.

Alan Lock joined the Navy after leaving BGS but was forced to quit after just three years when he was diagnosed with juvenile macular degeneration, meaning he can only use his peripheral vision.  Despite his loss of sight, last year he competed in the Marathon des Sables, a 151-mile race across the Sahara desert and when he reaches Antigua will enter the Guiness Book of Records as the first visually-impaired person to row across the Atlantic.

The two rowers hope to raise £100,000 for deaf/blind charity Sense, for more information or to support log on to www.atlanticrow4sense.com