Irishman and row-boat crew safe after mid-Atlantic capsize

IRISHMAN AODHÁN Kelly (26) and five international companions were safe on board a huge cargo ship bound for Spain yesterday after they survived the traumatic capsize of the small rowing boat in which they hoped to set a new record for crossing the Atlantic.

The 11.1 metre (36ft) Sara Gcapsized at 11am on Monday about 840km (520 miles) from their destination of Barbados, and the six-man crew spent 14 hours on a liferaft in rough seas until rescued yesterday morning by the cargo ship Nord Taipei.

A giant wave had hit the boat, deluging it. “She instantaneously started taking on water and the boat was capsized within about 10 seconds,” British skipper Matt Craughwell said. In the next 15 minutes the crew secured the liferaft and attached it to the boat.

“Frightened is a word I wouldn’t use, it was fight-or-flight response from everybody. It happened so quickly. One of the rowers was in the upturned boat for about 15 seconds because we couldn’t remove his feet from the harnesses. It was quite a relief she capsized and we called the names and everybody responded,” he told the BBC.

"To see a boat upside-down in the middle of the Atlantic like that and make it into a liferaft – to be on a vessel where we woke up this morning and had cooked breakfast and a cup of tea really puts things into perspective. We're just thankful we're here in one piece." Nord Taipeiwas alerted by the coast guard in Martinique. After the capsize the Sara G'screw activated their Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (Epirb) and the signal had been picked up initially by the Falmouth coast guard.

Even as they held to the liferaft, the wife of one of the six managed to make contact by satellite phone to say help was on its way.

The crew were into the 27th day of a world-record attempt. Initially the plan was to finish in 30 days, but conditions put paid to this early on and they refocused on the world record of almost 34 days.

Last year Craughwell skippered the Sara Gto a world record. The crew, including Irishmen Rob Byrne and Adam Burke, got from Morocco to Barbados in 33 days, 21 hours and 46 minutes.