A SPARKIE in shining armour came to the aid of a rowing team to keep their hopes of sailing around the country alive.
All-female crew Sea Change - who are rowing around Great Britain in gruelling circumnavigation race the GB Row Challenge - found themselves stranded just off Portland Bill last night due to a failed electric navigation system.
The thwarted sportswomen made their way to West Bay harbour in the darkness, where they were forced to anchor.
Their bid to complete the epic challenge - an unassisted 2,000 mile race around the coast of the country - had ground to a halt.
They took to the phones in a desperate bid to find an electrician and get back out on the water.
They were eventually referred to Kevin Leatham, owner of Marine Tec Solutions in Weymouth.
He rapidly came to their rescue and put in a new circuit to enable the women, who hail from different countries across the globe, to continue their race - which is described as 'a sporting event with a powerful sustainable purpose'.
Crew member Lorena Nichols said: “We lost power yesterday afternoon and had to make our way to the marina in darkness with no instruments.
“Kevin was in the area and made time to come and help us with the issue, and without that we wouldn’t be able to continue.
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“It’s brilliant and means so much as we can still leave as planned at 5am tomorrow, as if we left later the waves would be too strong to row against.
“There is a possibility to make new records with our time, despite the fact that we had problems here and in Dover as well. It’s early days and definitely in the back of our minds."
After saving the day, Mr Leatham said: "It was a routine change really, I'm glad I got them going again.
"They called me out today at 11.30am as a fuse had blown. I came from Weymouth and put in a new circuit so hopefully that should not happen to them again."
The team of six noticed the electrics for their plotter failing near Portland Bill, forcing them to anchor in West Bay Marina yesterday evening (Thursday, June 20) as they looked to complete the GB Row Challenge - an unassisted 2,000 mile race around the coast of the country,
The all-female team is made up of skipper Dr Kat Bruce, first mate Aoife Luscombe, and crew members Lorena Nichols, Chrissy Durkin, Jess McIver and Madeline Craig.
They are all environmental professionals working in the fields of nature, climate and corporate sustainability.
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The are racing other crews whilst also collecting data on microplastics, temperature, noise pollution and biodiversity for the University of Portsmouth.
If successful, they will be the third all-female crew to have ever completed this challenge.
Sea Change started their 2,000-mile journey on Sunday, June 9 from Tower Bridge in London, with the hopes that it will take six weeks to complete the trip back at Tower Bridge, although that is weather dependent.
The group have partnered with the Blue Marine Foundation, raising £2,940 so far. The charity has the aim of creating marine reserves, restoring vital marine habitats, and establishing models of sustainable fishing.
To find out more information about the crew and the challenge, visit www.seachangegrow.earth
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