Atlantic rowers spurred on by mangoes at next stop

A man in the middle of the Atlantic in a rowing boat said thoughts of mangoes and coconuts once he reaches the Caribbean are keeping him going.

Adam Rowlatt, 25, is currently more than halfway through the World's Toughest Row with childhood friend Jamie Kidd, 26.

The PhD student from Hereford said: "You definitely need to know someone well doing this because, in close quarters across the Atlantic, you suddenly get to know someone a lot more than you thought you ever would."

The pair are aiming to "blow out of the water" a £10,000 fundraising target to split between charities Mind, Dementia Adventure and T-21.

The race, which started a month ago, takes teams across 3,000 miles (4,828km) of ocean between San Sebastian de la Gomera, Spain, and Nelson's Dockyard, in Antigua.

Competitors may face 20ft-high (6m) waves, and night-time temperatures as low as 10C (50F), the average rower losing around 8kg (17lb) during the crossing.

Rowlatt, who was "captivated" by the annual race when he was 12, said they had about 18 days left at sea and were rowing in two hour-shifts, trying to ignore aching muscles.

He worked on his mental resilience for about a year in the build-up, which he said was "massively helpful".

"You're obviously going to have the occasional wobble when you're 1,000 miles... from civilisation," he said.

"I think we've been very lucky, we've been doing well, good morale."

Rowlatt and Kidd, from Peterborough, tested that resolve when the wind dropped for a couple of weeks about 12,000 miles (19,312km) into the race.

"That was like rowing through treacle," said Rowlatt. "Now the trade winds have hit, so we're cruising along about three knots."

The pair, who do not have any fresh food, have been speaking every day about what they will eat when they reach land.

"Some fresh fruit might be the first point of call," Rowlatt said. "Mangoes and coconuts would be ideal."

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