Team hits halfway point in 'world's toughest row'

Jason Howard said "spirits are high" one month into the challenge

A team of four men have reached the halfway mark in "the world's toughest row" across the Atlantic ocean to raise money for charity.

Jason Howard from Sheffield is part of the group, called Lessons from a Boat, rowing from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua.

Since setting off on 12 December, they have faced 40ft (12m) waves and had to "fight for survival and to maintain upright", Mr Howard said.

"We are not the youngest or most fine-tuned of athletes … but we knew we were taking on a challenge not for the light-hearted, and were just using every reserve we had," he added.

The group of friends had been planning the challenge for three years

"We were totally, 100% exhausted after the first ten days, thinking it's going to be torturous, but thankfully the sea changes every day," Mr Howard said.

"Every day now is stunning, which is lovely compared to then.

"We count ourselves very lucky."

Steve Potter, Dan Dicker, Jon Wilburn and Mr Howard are raising money for Diabetes UK, Cancer Research and Final Straw Foundation.

The men are all aged in their 50s or 60s.

Mr Howard said his middle son, who has type 1 diabetes, has been "helped tremendously" by Diabetes UK, and that all three charities were close to the team's hearts.

'High spirits'

Each man is rowing two hours on, two hours off, for 24 hours a day, with two people rowing at any given time.

A desalination unit on board is used to process sea water to make it suitable for drinking and washing on the boat, but "luxuries" like fresh food and baths are at the forefront of their minds.

Mr Howard, from Bradfield, said: "We have not stopped thinking about when we get to dry land. We keep asking each other, 'what are you going to have first? What's going to be your first drink?'

"But our spirits are high, we are enjoying ourselves.

"We want to send on the message to everyone to get out of your comfort zone, and to raise as much money as we possibly can for our charities."

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