RAF officer returns to row Atlantic 21 years later

Sqn Ldr Mark Jacklin, pictured with Gp Capt Andy Calame (back), is older but wiser, as he prepares for the rematch with the Atlantic

A senior RAF officer is preparing to row the Atlantic and smash the time he recorded 21 years ago.

Sqn Ldr Mark Jacklin completed the challenge in 78 days in 2004.

But he hopes to cut this down to under 55 days when he sets off for the Caribbean with three senior RAF colleagues on 12 December as part of the World's Toughest Row contest.

Sqn Ldr Jacklin, who lives near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, recalled the gruelling weather conditions and equipment failures last time out.

"Memories from last time were purgatory, it was hard graft," he said.

Sqn Ldr Jacklin will be joined by Gp Capt Andy Calame, Wing Cdr Mike Dewar and Air Commodore Matt Stowers - the last of whom was in the original line-up in 2004.

The group will be setting off in their boat, Per Ardua 21, from San Sebastian on La Gomera in the Canary Islands, to Antigua in the Caribbean - a 3,000 mile journey (4,828km).

They will raise funds for the Royal British Legion, Macmillan Cancer Support and the Centurion Fund.

The boat was made in Essex and was unveiled at an event in Great Notley, near Braintree, on Monday.

(L-R) Matt Stowers, Andy Calame, Mike Dewar and Mark Jacklin will depart San Sebastian on La Gomera in December

"We're trying to get across it a bit quicker than last time," Sqn Ldr Jacklin said.

"We're not interested in racing, I mean it is a race, there are 54 other boats but we just want to have a journey and race ourselves."

The Four Oarsmen team still hold the record for the fastest row across the Atlantic, finishing in 29 days, 14 hours and 34 minutes in 2018.

Gp Capt Calame is braced for an exhausting challenge

At its deepest, the Atlantic Ocean is 5.28 miles (8.5km) deep and the waves the rowers expect to tackle can measure up to 20ft (6m) high.

Gp Capt Calame, 56, from Frinton-on-Sea in Essex, said: "As a slightly older team we are really alive to the physical impact of this endurance row.

"Walking will be a challenge when we first arrive back on land and even though we have purchased the best available seats there will be long periods of discomfort."