HMS Oardacious nearing victory in epic 3,000-mile Atlantic row

A Royal Navy team of submariners are on course to win the World's Toughest Row by arriving in Antigua after 35 days at sea, covering 3,000 miles of the Atlantic Ocean. 

If everything goes according to plan, the five-strong HMS Oardacious team are expected to arrive at the Caribbean island from around 14:00 UK time – the first of 37 teams over the finish line. 

Commander Dan Seager has told BFBS's Totally Connected they are less than 100 nautical miles from the end.

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Speaking to presenter Amy Casey, he said: "Feeling pretty good, to be honest. Just last night was a rough night. We got pretty battered, our shins, our knees, they are absolutely wrecked. 

"Because it's pitch black, big waves coming in, huge goffers over the top, soaking wet, but with the end almost literally in sight. Yeah, feeling really positive at the moment," he said. 

The last stretch of the ocean has seen the submariners face 25 to 30-knot winds.  

According to the Beaufort Wind Scale, such winds are classified as a 'near gale' and can cause waves of up to 19ft.  

Throughout the race, the participants have endured weeks at sea, contending with sleep deprivation and salt sores, all while facing the formidable Atlantic. 

HMS Oardacious have been taking part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge since 2019, and said they "found our culture as submariners really harmonised with the extreme environment of the World's Toughest Row".

The submariners who make up this year's HMS Oardacious team – Matthew Main, Daniel Seager, Ian Allan, Michael Forrester and Rob Clarke – are raising money for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity "to show the mental challenge of service".

Donations can be made on their JustGiving page.