Thursday, March 21, 2013

  Fastest solo crossing of the Atlantic in a rowing boat: Charlie Pitcher breaks Guinness world record

Port St Charles, Barbados -- Exhaused and broken after 35 days and 33 minutes at sea, Charlie Pitcher, 50, arrived in Barbados having smashed the world record for the fastest solo crossing of the Atlantic in a rowing boat; he pulled into Port St Charles last Wednesday having knocked five days off the previous time – beating illness, capsizes and loneliness to arrive triumphant, according to the World Record Academy: www.worldrecordacademy.com/ .

  Photo: Daredevil Charlie Pitcher rowed 2,700 miles from the Canary Islands to Barbados in an amazing 35 days and 38 minutes. ( enlarge photo )

 The Guinness world record for fastest solo and unsupported crossing of the North Atlantic by sea kayak was achieved by Peter Bray (UK) in 76 days.

   Guinness World Records also recognized the fastest transatlantic crossing made completely under solar power is 29 days by sun21 (Switzerland) and its crew of five from Las Palmas, Gran Canaria to Le Marin, Martinique.

  Charlie became the world's fastest solo transatlantic rower by beating the previous record of 40 days, 9 hours and 44 minutes, set in January 2012.

  The previous world record was held by Andrew Brown in Charlie's old boat, JJ.

   Dubbed by welcoming islanders as "the lion man of Barbados", Sun-sponsored Charlie gave a thumbs up after crossing the finishing line and roared: "I've done it!"

   "Thanks to The Sun and its great readers, I now hold the world record and after what I have been through that feels very, very good."

  "As I pulled into the yacht club there was my wife Emma looking at me from 100m away – it was a complete surprise to see her there," said Charlie.

  "Then out popped my two little boys, James and Freddie. I couldn't hold my tears back and the flood gates erupted as I was reunited with them. It was just amazing.

 "I stepped ashore and all behind me was forgotten, my exhaustion, my journey and my thoughts."

  Charlie and his family, who were flown to the island by his sponsors, stayed in a luxury Caribbean villa while the record-breaker recovered.