The Corinthians. Picture by Brian Finke.

Four Lyme rowers complete 3,000 mile challenge.

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A team of Lyme Regis rowers with a combined age of 226 have completed a 3,000 mile row across the Atlantic.

The four friends Tony Short, 66, Elliot Dale, 51, Brian Fletcher, 57, and Christopher Walters, 52, completed the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge in 48 days, eight hours and three minutes.

Elliot said: “The support we have had in Great Britain, and across the world, has been inspirational.

“You can’t do something like this without having huge respect for all the teams, you can name every team and say – they’re exceptional.”

However, it has not been all plain sailing for the Corinthians who battled illness and mechanical faults, including the failure of the boats autopilot system after 10 days, which meant the team had to steer by hand.

It was also touch and go for Brian who suffered with an infected elbow on the journey, which he thought might need hospital treatment.

Luckily some antibiotics did the trick and the team were able to cross the finish line.

Seventeen crews took part in the rowing event, which set sail from Gomera in the Canary Islands on December 5, 2011.

The Corinthians hope to raise as much as they can for Shelterbox and the British Heart Foundation.