Ocean rower set back
Ocean rower Sarah Outen has hit problems in her mission to become the first woman to row single-handed across the Indian Ocean.
The 23-year-old, from Oakham, was today on dry land where she started, 10 days after setting off on her on her 3,000-mile solo voyage.
-
Sarah Outen
It follows a turbulent week in which a strong current swept her off course, forcing her into a 400-mile detour.
She is now back in Fremantle, on the west coast of Australia, for essential repairs to her 22-ft fibreglass boat, Serendipity.
Sarah said today she hoped to be back in the water again by the end of this week.
Her challenge has been inspired by her late father, Derek, whose battle against arthritis spurred her on to raise thousands of pounds for charity.
She is hoping to become the first woman, the youngest and the fastest person to complete a one-person voyage across the Indian Ocean, sailing a route from the west coast of Australia to Port Louis on the island of Mauritius.
See tomorrow's Leicester Mercury for a full update.
Comments
by Mary Fort, Leicester
Tuesday, March 24 2009, 3:46PM
“I have been following Sarah's blog - it has been brilliant. I've hardly been able to wait for the next instalment - also heard her on the radio. What a brave good-humoured girl - it is really inspiring. i especially love that she's doing this rollercoaster row in honour of her father who had rheumatoid arthritis. I know very young people with RA - it can be a really disabling and painful condition, but people think it only affects old people. Go Sarah, go!”