A TEAM of intrepid North Berwick rowers have crossed the finish line of the “world’s toughest row” and raised £35,690 for their chosen charity.

Five In A Row – North Berwick's Ian Baird, Duncan Hughes, Ross McKinney and Clive Rooney, and Fraser Potter from Dunkeld – launched from La Gomera in the Canary Islands on December 12 in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.

They crossed the finish line, at Nelson’s Dockyard, Antigua & Barbuda, third out of a starting fleet of 36 boats at 2.30pm today – taking 36 days, three hours and 23 minutes – welcomed by their children, wives and partners, who flew out last week to meet them as they arrived in port.

The challenge saw the men row the 3,000 miles across the Atlantic unsupported, alternately rowing for two hours and sleeping for two hours, 24 hours a day.

The North Berwick Rowing Club members took on the challenge to raise money for charity Reverse Rett.

Team member Ross’s daughter Eliza lives with Rett Syndrome, a neurological condition which most often strikes previously healthy girls between their first and second birthday, leaving them with multiple disabilities and medical complexities for life.

Standing on the podium at the end, Ian said: “We had some pretty wild nights, with waves coming over and knocking us off our seats, but I’m so proud of us, we never had any bad set-tos, everyone was just chilled and we stayed as a team.

“It was so much better than we expected it to be.”

Asked if they would recommend the challenge, Duncan said: “I wouldn’t do it again myself!

“But absolutely, it’s so incredible.”

To donate to Five In A Row’s Reverse Rett fundraiser, go to justgiving.com/fundraising/ross-mckinney6