Rower Kate tells of perilous final miles
Kate Richardson celebrates in Barbados
LION-HEARTED Ulsterwoman Kate Richardson played an heroic role in ensuring disaster didn’t strike the Row for Freedom crew in the terrifying final few miles of their record-breaking Atlantic crossing.
It has emerged that Portadown girl Richardson and skipper Debbie Beadle both did double shifts on the oars as their boat, Guardian, battled through treacherous conditions in the approach to Barbados.
The five women were welcomed into Port St Charles by cheering crowds in the early hours of Sunday morning after completing the 3,000-mile marathon row from the Canary Islands in a new world record time for an all-female crew.
By finishing inside 46 days, they obliterated the previous best time of 52 days and became the first female crew of five to successfully row an ocean but, in an interview with the News Letter yesterday, Richardson revealed what a struggle it had been right at the end.
In news footage, Beadle is seen slumping to the ground after being helped off the boat and sole Northern Ireland representative Richardson admits that her own legs felt like jelly after a particularly punishing session.
It’s said that the darkest hour comes just before the dawn and, as she basked in the Barbados sunshine yesterday morning, Kate explained how her final shift on the oars – out of more than 250 – was the longest and toughest of all.
“We’d been on a shift pattern of two-hours-on, two-hours-off throughout the voyage but myself and Debbie rowed the final four hours solid into Port St Charles, with me foot-steering – something we’ve had to do for most of the trip after our auto-helm broke.
“Even before we ever left La Gomera, we’d been warned that the final approach into Barbados could be difficult and particularly tricky after dark. We had hoped to get in during daylight hours but the seas were very tough so it was well into the evening.
“The winds were so strong and it was actually quite dangerous, with the currents trying to take us back out again. We could see the tiny lights on the shore in the distance but weren’t getting any closer and there was that awful fear we wouldn’t make it after getting so close.
“With waves crashing over us and the boat turning through 90 degrees, trying to change shift would have been a very perilous manoeuvre and anyway I felt the most confident for steering having done a lot of it.
“So the two of us stuck it out until the end. We were really wrecked by the time the boat came to a stop and my mum and (sister) Kerry just caught me after I was helped out to make sure I didn’t collapse with sheer exhaustion.
“After seeing just the same four faces since the start and no signs of life really, to be greeted by so many people waiting was overwhelming. We became so used to our own company at sea that it actually felt a bit bizarre.
“I’ve done various interviews and people keep asking me how I feel but I don’t think I’ve really grasped yet what we have actually done – even though we’ve had long enough to think about it at sea.
“But as those final few hours showed, until you’re there you can’t drop your guard or get careless or taking anything for granted – you have to give the ocean huge respect at all times.”
Although the crowd on shore were largely oblivious to the desperate struggle going on at sea, Kate’s mum Marina was one of a select few who had a closer vantage point – aboard a small yacht that had gone out to escort the Guardian into the lagoon
“We were circling and cheering them on but the sea was so choppy and they were really wrestling hard to keep control,” she told the News Letter yesterday.
“But throughout this incredible challenge the girls have taken everything thrown at them and I’m so proud of what they’ve achieved. And as Kate’s mum, I’m just so relieved to have her back safe on dry land!”
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Weather for Belfast
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 12 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
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