HMS Oardacious recount adventure highlights as they row ever closer to the finish
Royal Navy team HMS Oardacious have shared their thoughts with BFSB as they approach the end of the 'World's Toughest Row' in the lead.
As they continued to hold first place in the 3,000-mile Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, the team have endured heavy weather and encountered a pair of minke whales in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
"Our next goal is 250 miles, and we've set a time by which we need to be there, and the speed we need to achieve," said HMS Oardacious' Commander Daniel Seager.
Cdr Seager said to Amy Casey on BFBS Totally Connected: "Every time we have a good day or a bad day, we're still setting targets.
"We're a single defect away from losing 50 miles in one go so that threat is ever present. We continue to drive as hard as we can.
He said the team had just suffered really heavy rain which was followed by a double rainbow.
"I've never seen such a bright rainbow before," he added. "It was an amazing moment, being absolutely drenched but turning around to see that afterwards. So, high morale at the moment."
The crew, along with the entire fleet taking part in the race, took part in a 10-minute pause to honour the memory of Commander Alisdair Putt, the skipper of the Aussie Old Salts team.
Dan added: "It was a really heavy moment. We'd already had the two-minute silence earlier that day just on our own.
"Then the call went out across the fleet as an idea. Let's do it together.
"You're one pack, and everyone crosses the finish line together," he said.
A highlight of the race for HMS Oardacious was the sighting of two minke whales that swam underneath their boat.
Dan said: "We expected the noise of the whale to be the same as any old wave, but it really did stand out as it blew.
"It headed in the opposite direction, then it turned around and I was absolutely ecstatic.
"I've talked to my daughter about it. Really excited seeing that. It was a highlight of the trip."
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