10:45am Tuesday 5th September 2006
By Anthony Osborne
FORMER Headlands pupil Ben Fouracre and three colleagues have managed to row across the Atlantic.
The four Royal Engineer rowers, Ben, 27, Charlie Martell, 36, from Gloucestershire, Mark Waterson, 46, from Yorkshire and Pete Rowlands, 46, also from Yorkshire, arrived in Falmouth, Cornwall, on Sunday afternoon after a gruelling 84 days at sea.
Today they are waiting for confirmation to see if they broke the record for unassisted rowing across the Atlantic.
However the attempt might not be given the record, because the four had to be given a tow into Falmouth harbour because of strong southwesterly winds.
Ben and fellow rower Charlie Martell of Team Hasco have each lost five stone in weight, and had to be content with just coffee in the final few days after running out of food.
Mr Martell said: "It's a huge relief to be back at home and on dry land and being able to walk properly again.
"There's not much civilisation out there and the taste buds have taken a complete hammering with all the rations we have been eating, so it's been a real pleasure to eat a good meal.
"Now it's a case of building up our weight again and getting ready to continue our fundraising efforts."
Adrian Bell, campaign manager, said: "Sunday was a hugely frustrating day for the team, and often it was a case of one step forward and two steps back.
"We had hoped to get them into Falmouth during the early hours of Sunday, but a strong southwesterly pushed them out.
"At one point they could see where all the people were waiting for them, and they were determined to row in, but the wind was too strong.
"In the end, they were towed into the harbour but rowed in under their own steam, so it was frustrating for all of us.
"But it's great to have them back home."
The crew faced many obstacles along the way, including ocean swell the height of a house, winds reaching storm Force 10 and container ships the size of a block of flats.
The rowing team has raised £142,000 for the Meningitis Trust.
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