Missing rower's wife expects him at finish line

The NZ Rowing for Prostate team last made contact on Saturday. Photo / Supplied

The wife of one of four rowers who have lost contact with organisers of a race across the Indian Ocean says she expects to meet up with her husband at the finish line.

The New Zealand Rowing for Prostate team of Tom Wigram, Peter Staples, Billy Gammon and Matt Hampel last made contact on Saturday.

There was again no news from them overnight, but Rebecca Wigram said today that she hadn't expected any.

She remained confident that the reason for the silence was a problem with recharging the on-board satellite phone.

Mrs Wigram is due to fly to Mauritius tomorrow in preparation for the crew's expected arrival at the finish line late next week.

Race organisers have sent a support yacht to the crew's last known position, which was just under 500 nautical miles from Mauritius.

The yacht, which is expected to reach that position in the next two or three days, or possibly later, depending on the weather, will then head along the RFP's projected path from that point.

Mrs Wigram said it was probably unlikely that the support craft would be able to locate the rowers, who are expatriate Britons living in New Zealand.

"It's like looking for a needle in a haystack, because they are going for the last known position and that was Saturday," she said.

"The likelihood is that they [the rowers] will just come into Mauritius.".

She said she wasn't concerned about the safety of the crew, who would have set off their emergency beacons if they had been in trouble.

The inaugural 3132-nautical-mile charity race across the Indian Ocean began in mid-April from Geraldton, in Western Australia, with 11 entries, some of them solo rowers, taking part.

A British crew of four have also won the contest, finishing last Thursday after 68 days, 19 hours and 40 minutes.

- NZPA