Team Geared Up

The boys at Atlantic Challenge capsized late last night, their all over the news so you can’t miss this story!

As we discussed here before the lads were an Irish rowing team in a specialised boat trying to cross the Atlantic (last position above) in a 3000 mile race that started on November 30th, but in a large wave last night the boat went over with the cabin hatch open and didn’t re-right itself. I’ve just heard the first interview with them on RTE radio (Ireland’s National Broadcaster) from Sat phone and they were picked up by a tanker after setting their EPIRB off. (An EPIRB sends a GPS location to a satellite and onto the Coast Guard). Both are safe & sound, so no worries there!

8 Jan: US Coast Guard based at Norfolk, Virginia reported earlier today that a distress signal was picked up from the crew of Atlantic Challenge at 5.00pm. The coastguard says two vessels have been diverted to the area 1,400 nautical miles south east of Bermuda.

8 Jan, 11:50pm: US Coast Guard based at Norfolk, Virginia have reported that the crew of Atlantic Challenge have been found safe and well by the Spanish registered oil tanker Hispania Spirit (pictured above).

They will continue with the ship to Cartegena in Spain, where they are expected to arrive on 14 January.

President Mary McAleese has sent her best wishes to the two men.

Will keep you up to date as we hear more.

More: from officials

At 1643 hours GMT today (Sunday 08 January 2005), a 406 Mhz EPIRB activation signal was received by Falmouth Coastguard.  This signal originated from a beacon registered to Boat No. 1 – Digicel Atlantic Challenge, crewed by Irishmen, Gearoid Towey and Ciaran Lewis.

A 98000 ton carrier vessel called the Hispania Spirit was diverted to the last received position for Digicel Atlantic Challenge and at approximately 2230 hours GMT, they arrived on the scene.  They were alerted by a flare and a strobe light to the upturned hull of Digicel Atlantic Challenge and nearby a liferaft containing both Ciaran and Gearoid safe and well.