A Perthshire adventurer’s Atlantic rowing record attempt was nearly sunk by a freak wave.
In a chilling echo of events which destroyed Mark Beaumont’s rowing challenge last year, the vessel being rowed by Benno Rawlinson, from Abernethy, was smashed by a sudden seven-metre surge.
The 40-foot Avalon’s dagger board snapped and the eight-man crew’s skipper, Leven Brown, was left with a badly-bruised shin.
The crew is 13 days into the record attempt as they seek to get from Gran Canaria to Barbados in under 32 days. Remarkably, the determined oarsmen did not stop rowing as they carried out repairs to their damaged boat.
A spokesman for Ocean Row Events, which is coordinating the daring feat, said: “Avalon was hit by a huge seven-metre wave which reared vertically out of nowhere and smashed down on the boat.
“The dagger board was snapped in two and had to be replaced although they didn’t stop to do this. It wasn’t such an easy job as the bit which was left had to be sawn off before they could get the new one on.
“This slowed progress but, in spite of this, they still managed a reasonable 86 miles and had good fortune that spares had been carried. Leven has a large bruise on his left shin but that was the only injury, luckily.
“Such was the power of this wave, it has been likened to a golf ball being driven by the best golfer in the world or being rammed by a Centurion tank at speed.”
The crew is working two-hour rowing shifts and has passed the 1,000 mile mark in the 3,000-mile voyage.
One of their few breaks from rowing has been a half hour rest to swim with a pod of dolphins, while they have also passed blooms of Portuguese man o’ war jellyfish and contended with flying fish landing on deck.
Although the record stands at 32 days, they hope to complete their task in less than 30. They are currently rowing at an average speed of around three knots.
Former Strathallan pupil Benno is raising money for the RNLI. The record attempt is the same one which Benno’s fellow Perthshire adventurer Mark Beaumont tried early last year with near-disastrous consequences.
A massive wave hit his boat and overturned it, leaving the group huddled on a lifeboat until they were rescued hours later.
Benno’s record attempt can be followed online at oceanrowevents.com.