Shropshire race rowers back in UK after rescue
They battled torrential rain and giant waves – but in the end technical problems ended the hopes of a team, including a sergeant from Shropshire, of completing a 3,000 mile row from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean.
Sergeant Howard Raw and his three colleagues from the RAF had to pull out of the challenge after 51 days at sea.
To make matters worse for the group, a rescue attempt lasting about six hours left their boat and possessions at the bottom of the sea.
The team was more than half way through the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge – an 18-boat race which started from Tenerife on December 4.
After losing the boat's rudderthe team had to put out a call for help, which ended their hopes of completing the challenge.
Sergeant Raw, a 32-year-old former Market Drayton air cadet from Loggerheads who is based at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, said he will take away a lot of good memories with him despite a "traumatic" 51 days at sea.
He said: "It took a lot longer and was a lot harder than we were hoping for.
"Winds were stronger than expected and the waves were pushing us the wrong way. The whole 51 days were pretty traumatic. We had a lot of technical issues."
Sergeant Raw said a large cargo boat travelling from Europe to America was called to come to the aid of the group.
"The cargo boat broke our boat. We ended up in the water and lost everything other than the clothes we were wearing.
"The crew threw a cargo net down the side of the boat, we swam over, tied our limbs through it, and they pulled us up. We were cold and exhausted but fortunately everyone was fine."
Sergeant Raw said the group were greeted by family and friends in the UK last week.
He added:"The race is every two years and I would probably do it again. But I am not sure my family would let me."
