A TEAM of ocean-going rowers from Burnham look set to sail into the Guinness Book of World Records.
Burnham trio Lily Lower, 27, Bella Collins, 28, and Mary Sutherland, 41, and Purusha Gordon, 43, from Wiltshire, are taking part in the Great Pacific Race.
The ultimate endurance challenge sees them row 2,400 miles across the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco to Hawaii.
Dubbed the Ocean Sheroes, they set off on May 31 from beneath the Golden Gate Bridge in their boat Fenris.
It was custom-built by Bella’s uncle, Charlie Pitcher, at Rannoch Adventures in Burnham.
The women are on course to smash both the current female-four world record of 50 days, eight hours and 14 minutes, set in 2014, and the existing men’s record too.
The team are expected to cross the finish line on July 6 in a time of just 36 days.
Three of the Ocean Sheroes team contracted Covid in the run-up to the challenge, which made preparations for the Great Pacific Race even more difficult.
During a brutal month at sea they are enduring physical and mental challenges, including body sores, seasickness and extreme exhaustion, with 30ft waves and gusts of wind reaching 47mph.
There will also be no family to welcome them in Hawaii due to Covid-19 travel restrictions.
- Getting ready to set off at the end of May
The Ocean Sheroes are rowing in pairs, two hours on, two hours off, 24/7, burning up to 8,500 calories a day.
Since its launch in 2014, only 22 teams have ever completed the Great Pacific Race, with just two four-person, all-female teams reaching the finish line.
The team is looking to raise £60,000 for the Seabin Project.
The ocean-cleaning technology helps to create cleaner seas with healthier marine life by catching an estimated 1.5 tonnes of marine debris per year, including micro-plastics, microfibres, fuel and oil.
- In front of the famous Golden Gate Bridge
Bella's brother Angus is among a four-man male crew in the race.
The Lat35 lads are on course to obliterate the current 39-day record and are expected to finish on Wednesday in a time of 30 days.
If Angus, 31, beats the Great Pacific world record he will become the only man to hold records in the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and also be the youngest man to have ever rowed all three oceans.
- Bella's brother Angus is on the Lat 35 crew
Angus and Bella grew up in a family of sailors and still spend much of their holidays in Burnham.
Their grandfather was a world champion sailor on the Flying Dutchman, and their uncle, Charlie Pitcher, was the fastest man to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 35 days in 2013.
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