Rowing: Australian team out of touch

While satellite phones have helped the New Zealand men in the lead of the transatlantic rowing challenge, their nearest rivals, the Australians, have been shut off from the rest of the world.

Australian doctors Patrick Weinrauch and Paul McCarthy have not had communications on Freedom since the race started 27 days ago.

Yesterday, they were visited by a race support vessel and told they were coming second, 68 nautical miles behind New Zealanders Steve Westlake and Matt Goodman.

The New Zealand men had less than 1000 miles to go to the finish in Barbados.

The New Zealand women, Jude Ellis and Steph Brown, were still third, 30 miles ahead of the next boat, Win Belgium.