Voice of America

8 August 2004

Reporter -

Four Britons trying to break the world trans-Atlantic rowing record have been rescued after heavy storms broke their boat, the Pink Lady, in half.
Sunday, a Swedish ship rescued the four men about 480 kilometers off the south-east tip of Britain.

The rowers left Newfoundland, Canada on June 30 in an attempt to reach Falmouth, England in under 55 days, the current world record.

One of the rowers, Jonathan Gornall, told British news that the Pink Lady was battered by waves as high as nine meters. Mr. Gornall said while the men were disappointed not to have broken the record, they were happy to be alive.

The men had been rowing virtually non-stop in pairs for two hours at a time for nearly 40 days.