Record bid rowers' sandbank scare

The brave rowers are on their way home

Four rowers attempting to become the first people to row non-stop around Britain are still on course even though they ran aground off the Essex coast.

The men, led by Lt William de Laszlo, 26, of Alton, Hants, are due to arrive at London's Tower Bridge on Monday, after rowing for 26 days and 20 hours.

The rest of the team are Lt Ben Jesty, 24, of London; Sgt James Bastin, 34, of Gloucs; and Will Turnage, 25, of Hants.

They hope to raise £1m for charity with their GB Row Challenge.

We knew sandbanks were there but it was gamble we had to take Skipper Lt de Laszlo

Lt de Laszlo said: "We were constantly fighting against a force five wind and an adverse tide slowed us down terribly.

"We decided to head into calmer water closer to the shore to make headway.

"We knew sandbanks were there but it was gamble we had to take.

"We were getting along a lot faster but unfortunately the ebb tide receded faster that we'd hoped and we were left on a sand bank at just before three in the afternoon."

They were then forced to wait for the tide to turn so they could re-float their 23ft boat, The Outward Bound.

During their journey, the three Grenadier Guards - based at Windsor, Berkshire - and company director Will Turnage, from Lymington, have rowed an average of more than 70 miles a day.

The crew has braved force eight gales and 50ft waves in the Irish Sea.

Two oars were smashed when a rogue wave flipped their boat off Scarborough.