EIGHT teams of rowers, including some Swindon contenders, will celebrate Christmas at sea as they tackle the Ward Evans Atlantic Rowing Challenge.

A total of 36 teams of pairs set off from San Juan, Tenerife, on October 7 to row the 2,900 nautical miles to Port St Charles in Barbados.

And they were hotly pursued by Westlea's Norman Butler, 36, who was determined to complete the challenge aboard his Spirit of Swindon craft even though he was unable to officially register as a race entrant.

The winning team, Telecom Challenge 1, completed the challenge on November 18, after the crossing took them 42 days, 2 hours and 16 minutes.

The record for the race is 41 days 2 hours and 55 minutes and is held by New Zealanders Rob Hamill and the late Phil Stubbs in 1997.

In sixth place was Bright Spark, comprising War-minster's Will Mason, 28, and Tim Thurman, 35, whose father farms at South Cerney, who arrived in Port St Charles at 1.37am GMT on Tuesday just over an hour behind fifth-placed Comship.com.

They completed the crossing in 50 days, 15 hours and 22 minutes.

Tim said: "We were very pleased with our position and look forward to celebrating Christmas with friends and family."

Also finished in midfield is Team 45, Mcllaid, crewed by South Marston company director Julian McHardy and Mark Williams.

Due to finish on December 30 is Team 15, This Way Up, with Ian Charter from Suffolk and ex-Royal Navy serviceman Tony Day, 56, a former Highworth Warneford School pupil who works as a financial advisor for Zurich Financial Services.

With the average row taking around 60 days, the remaining rowers may have been forgiven for having thought that they would be at home on Christmas Day tucking into turkey and mince pies.

But the intrepid adventurers one now rowing solo are on a personal voyage of discovery, challenging their bodies and minds to the limit in the "world's toughest rowing race".

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