A distress call sent out by transAtlantic rower Ralph Tuijn set a Portuguese naval corvette into action over the weekend, and brought a record-breaking bid to a sorry end. Tuijn had set out from Ferragudo en-route for French Guiana, hoping to set a world record for the journey of 55 days. He was carrying with him a bottle of champagne, with which he planned to celebrate the New Year.
But as national tabloid Correio da Manhã explains today, this will now almost certainly have to be spent on dry land.
Tuijn’s rescue followed the destruction of “a vital piece of equipment” on his boat after it was hit by a “very large wave” on the high seas, 150 kms from the Portuguese coast.
CM adds that Tuijn was nonetheless unharmed and in good health.
The Dutch sportsman has already rowed solo across the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and is described on Youtube as an adventurer whose expeditions have taken him to the Arctic, up mountains and on biking forays.
For a quick look at his antics, see this clip on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsNfQn4OfLY
