UK rowers rescued after Atlantic storm

Four Britons trying to break a world Atlantic rowing record were rescued yesterday after storms split their boat in two, leaving them clinging to a liferaft for around six hours before they were picked up by a passing ship.

"You take on nature and you take what she delivers and on this particular occasion she delivered a killer blow," said crew member Jonathan Gornall.

The rowers set off from Newfoundland, Canada, at the end of June, aiming to make the 3,380-kilometre Atlantic crossing to Britain in 35 to 40 days and beat the current 55-day record.

Mr Gornall said their boat was wrecked by a massive wave. "The next thing we knew we were under water, fighting to escape the rear part of the vessel - which, on inspection afterwards when we surfaced, appeared to be completely smashed by a tremendous wave," he told BBC television.

Mr Gornall, skipper Mark Stubbs, Pete Bray and John Wills had alerted coastguards just after 0130 GMT and remained in regular contact by hand-held satellite phone.

Coastguards sent a marine patrol aircraft to fly over their position and broadcast mayday signals to alert passing vessels.

Initally, a coastguard spokesman said a Maltese tanker ship, the Bregen, had responded to the mayday and was four hours away from the crew's position.

Eventually, a Scandinavian vessel picked up the Pink Lady crew after they spent much of the night on a liferaft about 480 kilometres west of the Scilly Islands, Britain's coastguard said.

Mr Gornall said it was a shame the team failed in its attempt to break the record but he was "very happy to be alive".

Heavy storms had forced the rowers to go 72 kilometres out of their way, while in the first days of the challenge they encountered twice as many icebergs as usual off the Canadian coastline.

The men, all experienced rowers, had been rowing virtually non-stop in pairs for two hours at a time.