Irish Atlantic rowers send distress signal
The Mayday signals, from a location southeast of Bermuda, were picked up by the US Coastguard at Norfolk in Virginia, which then launched a rescue operation.
The boat, Digicel Atlantic Challenge, is crewed Gearoid Towey and Ciarán Lewis, the second fully Irish team to contest the event.
Last night, a merchant vessel was expected to arrive in the area where the distress signal was located. A boat supporting the race was also diverted to the same location to search for the light craft.
Towey, 27, and Lewis, 34, were well advanced in the 2,795-mile race across the Atlantic from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to the island of Antigua in the Caribbean.
The two Irish oarsmen were up against crews from all over the world in their seven-metre boat. The race began on November 30 and it was expected that the course would take at least 40 days to complete.
All teams must carry the minimum designated equipment which includes safety items such as life jackets, a life raft, EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon), VHF Radio and a medical kit.
Teams use a GPS (Global Positioning System) to navigate their way across the Atlantic. They also carry a sextant as a backup.
The first Atlantic Rowing Race was held in 1997. The event was organised by Sir Chay Blythe who successfully navigated the North Atlantic in an open rowing boat in 1966.
This year’s race is the fourth and all three previous races have been won by New Zealanders.
The winners of the 2003 race set a new record of 40 days, five hours and 31 minutes.
