British woman completes 111-day row across the Atlantic Ocean
Published 9:00 pm Saturday, January 26, 2002
Associated Press
PORT ST. CHARLES, Barbados — A triumphant but exhausted Debra Veal made land Saturday after rowing for 111 days while braving storm squalls and tough tides in her solo trans-Atlantic journey.
By making the voyage, which covered 2,963 miles, she became the 11th woman rower to cross an ocean solo.
"There were probably a few anxious moments, but it was beautiful," the smiling but weary 27-year-old Briton said as she arrived at this northwest Barbados resort at 10:55 a.m.
Dozens of clapping fans, some blowing foghorns and whistles, welcomed the former schoolteacher as she landed her 20-foot vessel Troika Transatlantic and checked in with customs officials.
Veal left the Spanish island of Tenerife, off West Africa, on Oct. 7 and was accompanied for the first 13 days of the trans-Atlantic crossing by her husband, Andrew.
He was the first to greet her Saturday, popping a bottle of champagne and embracing her as she stepped ashore at the resort town of Port St. Charles.
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