Galway businessman Daragh MacLoughlin is reported to be on the verge of winning the World’s Toughest Row.
As Afloat has previously reported, MacLoughlin (42) from Clarinbridge set out on December 12th on the gruelling 4,800km journey across the Atlantic to test his own limits and to raise €10,000 for two Irish charities.
He is fundraising for Debra, which supports those living with ‘Butterfly Skin’ disease EB, and Irish Dogs for the Disabled.
He has rowed over 4,000km of treacherous seas from the Canaries and is expected to reach Antigua by this coming Friday (Jan 23), weather permitting.
If he maintains his progress, he may be first in the solo category of the event.
On Sunday, he was 80 nautical miles ahead of his nearest rival, Belgium’s Thomas van Woensel on ‘Madlantic’.
Last week, he was cheered on by up to 1,000 people on the deck of cruise ship Queen Victoria which approached him and blew the ship’s horn.
Galway businessman Daragh MacLoughlin on his Atlantic row Source: via Instagram
He had called the ship up and spoken to “some lady from Cork” who asked if he would mind if the ship pulled up alongside.
Speaking earlier last week to Afloat on the highs and the lows, he spoke about uninterrupted views of sunrises and being circulated by a pod of about 200 dolphins.
“Two waves from different directions were joining and they were just colliding and going upwards and there was a real risk of them breaking, going over the boat and capsizing me,”he recalled..
“In that moment, about 200 dolphins emerged from the water, as if I had called them, and swam under my boat, they spiralled, looked up at me and went up the waves, just underneath the water line, reached the top of the wave, turned round, came back down underneath my boat, spiralled and did this several times.”
“It was as if to show me that it was alright, these waves could be surfed and there was no need to have any fear.
“It was an absolutely amazing experience that will be with me forever.”
Lows included receiving forecasts for better weather than actually transpired, being “tired, hot and not making progress” and “seeing your arrival date slipping away”.
He said the level of training made a lot of the elements of the race a lot easier. He said he had got some good tips and advice from Ireland’s first transatlantic oarswoman Karen Weekes and “is looking forward to a debrief from her after the fact”.
MacLoughlin’s wife Suzanne and daughters Maeve and Saoirse are travelling to Antigua to meet him at the end of this week. His boat is named Jasper after a family dog, and Jasper’s collar is travelling on his craft.
His sister Doireann said: “Daragh has a phenomenal sense of drive and very competitive edge when it comes to any challenge. He has shown bravery, courage and grit throughout this entire race.”
“We are remarkably proud of him and cannot wait to welcome him to Antiguan shores for his finish.”
The public is asked to continue to donate to Daragh’s fundraising page
