Elation and relief as Indian Ocean rowers located

Charity rowers from left to right: Peter Staples, Billy Gammon, Matthew Hampel (top) and Tom Wigram pictured during their voyage.

Elation and relief were the twin emotions for Rebecca Wigram today when she learnt her husband and his three teammates rowing across the Indian Ocean had been located.

The Rowing for Prostate crew of Tom Wigram, Peter Staples, Billy Gammon and Matt Hampel last made contact with Indian Ocean Rowing Race organisers last Saturday.

A problem with recharging their satellite phone was thought to be the reason they haven't been in touch since.

Early today (NZ time), the four were sighted from the air about 300 nautical miles from their destination of Mauritius.

Mrs Wigram, who is flying out of Auckland tonight for Mauritius to see the team cross the finish line, said a local coastguard patrol plane make contact about 1am (5pm Thursday, Mauritius time).

The parties spoke by VHF radio and the coastguard passed on the following message to race organisers: "Made contact, all crew safe, this is their co-ordinates..., they sounded well."

Mrs Wigram said she got the news from race organisers in a telephone call about 5am.

"We laughed a lot," she said.

"It was just elation really. I was very relieved."

Mrs Wigram had remained confident throughout that the men, all expatriate Britons living in New Zealand, were safe despite their silence.

"It was great to have it confirmed," she said.

"We just want them on dry land now."

She said RFP's projected arrival at the finish line was around the middle or end of next week.

The crew had been averaging about 50 miles a day before they stopped making contact.

She didn't expect to have any more news from them unless they came within VHF radio range of a boat or a plane.

The chances of that happening increased the closer they got to land.

RFP was one of 11 entries of varying crew sizes taking part in the inaugural 3132-nautical-mile charity race, which began from Geraldton, in Western Australia, in mid-April.

Two boats have finished, the first containing a British crew of four, who crossed the line eight days ago after 68 days, 19 hours and 40 minutes.

Four others teams are still rowing, while the five others have retired.

- NZPA