A TEAM of six men smashed a world record after rowing across the Atlantic in only 33 days.
Skipper Matt Craughwell, 32, battled against the seas between Morocco and Barbados with fellow Englishman Graham Carlin, Irishmen Adam Burke and Rob Byrne, Maltese Thomas Cremona and Icelander Fiann Paul.
Team Sara G departed from Tarfaya, on January 5 at 11am, and arrived in Port St Charles on Tuesday, 33 days, 21 hours and 46 minutes later.
The determined men broke the record for rowing more than 100 miles per day for 12 consecutive days, which enabled them to break the record for the fastest Atlantic crossing, shaving more than 10 hours off the previous best time.
Speaking from Barbados, Matt said: "I cannot put into words the feeling of getting back on land and seeing my wife after giving my everything. It was the culmination of three years of hard work."
Matt, who grew up in Northolt and attended Northolt High School, started ocean rowing four years ago.
He said: "I was just about to get married and looking for something to define my life. I was amazed that a human being could row across the world."
The team endured many difficulties but Matt said: "It was never going to be easy. Everything that was a critical component on board broke at some point but we replaced it and carried on.
"There's a fine balance between carrying just enough stuff to break the record and too much; 50kg of excess equipment could have lost us two days."
The six oarsmen endured a tough regime on board the cramped, 11 metre Sara G, spending two hours rowing and two hours sleeping or eating, with a diet of high-calorie, dried meals.
Matt lost nearly two stone during the 3,170-mile trip.
Despite their heroics, Matt and his team were actually beaten to the glory of holding the world record by another crew, who rowed the same distance but set off from further north - the Canary Islands.
Team Hallin, which included Justin Johanneson, from Kensington, came into port after 31 days, 23 hours and 31 minutes - beating the record and Team Sara G's time by two whole days.
However, Matt's mum Ann Craughwell, of Hazeltree Lane, Northolt, was no less proud of her son and said: "I watched him come in on a webcam with tears of joy.
"I was very nervous. They were like a matchstick in the ocean with great big liners going past."
The ex-engineer, who lives in Hertfordshire, is now recruiting for yet another record-breaking trip across the Indian Ocean in June 2012. * For more information visit www.worldoceanrowing.com.
